

































































































































THE ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 



The Children’s Classics 


Homer 

The Iliad for Boys and Girls 

Retold by Rev. A. J. Church 
Illustrations after Flaxman 

The Fables of ABsop 

Edited by Joseph Jacobs 
Illustrated by Richard 
Heighway 

The Arabian Nights 

Edited by Padraic Colum 
Illustrated by Eric Pape 

The Brothers Grimm 
Household Tales 

Translated by Lucy Crane 
Illustrated by Walter Crane 

Hans Christian Andersen 
Fairy Tales and Stories 

Edited by Francis Hackett 
and Signe Toksvig 
Illustrated by Eric Pape 

English Fairy Tales 

Retold by F. A. Steel 
Illustrated by Arthur Rack- 
ham 


Charles and Mary Lamb 
Tales from Shakespeare 

Illustrated by Maud and 
Miska Petersham 

Jonathan Swift 
Gulliver's Travels 

Illustrated by Charles Brock 

Charles Dickens 
A Christmas Carol 

Illustrated by Francis D. 
Bedford 

Lewis Carroll 

Alice in Wonderland and 
Through the Looking Glass 

Illustrated by John Tenniell 

Robert Louis Stevenson 
Treasure Island 

Illustrated by Warwick 
Goble 

Richard Henry Dana 
Two Years Before the Mast 

Illustrated by Charles Pears 

Other titles preparing 












Diomed casting his Spear against Ares. 




THE ILIAD FOR 
BOYS AND GIRLS 


TOLD FROM HOMER 
IN SIMPLE LANGUAGE 


BY THE 

REV. ALFRED J. CHURCH, M.A. 

AUTHOR OF i( STORIES FROM HOMER* ’ 


) > 


) 


Nefo fork 

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

1923 


All rights reserved 




\ 



Copyright, 1907, 

By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. 


Set up and electrotyped. Published September, 1907. 


a °\ 1 % \ 

x A 



Norwood Press 

J. S. Cushing Co. — Berwick & Smith Co. 
Norwood , Mass., U.S.A. 



ALFRED THE THIRD 
ACROSS THE SEA 


CONTENTS 


CHAP. 

I. 

Of how the War with Troy began 



PAGE 

15 

II. 

The Quarrel .... 



21 

III. 

What Thetis did for her Son 



33 

IV. 

The Duel of Paris and Menelaus 



4 1 

V. 

How the Oath was Broken . 



53 

VI. 

The Great Deeds of Diomed 



61 

VII. 

Concerning other Valiant Deeds . 



7 i 

VIII. 

Of Glaucus and Diomed 



81 

IX. 

Hector and Andromache . . 



89 

X. 

How Hector and Ajax Fought 



IOI 

XI. 

The Battle on the Plain 



1 13 

XII. 

The Repentance of Agamemnon 



131 

XIII. 

The Embassy to Achilles 



I 4 I 

XIV. 

The Story of Old Phcenix . 



155 

XV. 

The Adventure of Diomed and Ulysses 



167 

XVI. 

The Wounding of the Chiefs 



181 

XVII. 

The Battle at the Wall 

• 


1 93 


9 




CONTENTS 


CHAP. 

XVIII. 

The 

Battle at the Ships 

• • 

PAGB 

205 

XIX. 

The 

Deeds and Death of Patroclus 

. 219 

XX. 

The 

Rousing of Achilles 

9 • 

* 233 

XXI. 

The 

Making of the Arms . 

• • 

. 245 

XXII. 

The Quarrel Ended . 

• * 

* 255 

XXIII. 

The 

Battle at the River . 

« • 

• 263 

XXIV. 

The 

Slaying of Hector 

^ *» 

. 275 

XXV. 

The 

Ransoming of Hector . 

* u 

. 291 


THE END OF TROY . 

p * 

, 301 


10 




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


Diomed Casting His Spear against Ares . Frontispiece 

FACING PAGE 

Athene Suppressing the Fury of Achilles ... 24 

Hector Chiding Paris ...... 92 

The Meeting of Hector and Andromache . . 96 

Hector and Ajax Separated by the Heralds . . 108 

Hera and Athene Going to Assist the Greeks . .122 

The Embassy of Achilles ...... 142 

Diomed and Ulysses Returning with the Spoils of 
Rhesus. . . . . . . . .176 

Polydamus Advising Hector to Retire from the 
Trench ......... 194 

Ajax Defending the Greek Ships against the Trojans 214 

Sleep and Death Conveying the Body of Sarpedon to 
Lycia ......... 226 

The Fight for the Body of Patroclus . . . 234 

Thetis Bringing the Armour to Achilles . . . 250 

The Gods Descending to Battle .... 270 

Andromache Fainting on the Wall .... 286 

Hector’s Body Dragged at the Chariot by Achilles 292 








CHAPTER I 


OF HOW THE WAR WITH TROY 

BEGAN 




THE ILIAD FOR BOYS 
AND GIRLS 


CHAPTER I 

OF HOW THE WAR WITH TROY BEGAN 

Once upon a time there was a certain King 
of Sparta who had a most beautiful daughter, 
Helen by name. There was not a prince in 
Greece but wished to marry her. The King 
said to them: “Now you must all swear that 
you will be good friends with the man whom 
my daughter shall choose for her husband, 
and that if any one is wicked enough to steal 
her away from him, you will help him to get 
her back.” And this they did. Then the 
Fair Helen chose a prince whose name was 
Menelaiis, brother of Agamemnon, who 
reigned in Mycenae, and was the chief of all 
the Kings of Greece. After a while Helen's 
father died, and her husband became King of 
Sparta. The two lived happily together till 

15 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


there came to Sparta a young prince, Paris 
by name, who was son of Priam, King of 
Troy. This Paris carried off the Fair Helen, 
and with her much gold and many precious 
stones. 

Menelaiis and his brother Agamemnon sent 
to the princes of Greece and said, “Now you 
must keep your oath, and help us to get back 
the Fair Helen .” So they all came to a place 
called Aulis, with many ships and men. 
Others also who had not taken the oath came 
with them. The greatest of these chiefs 
were these: — 

Diomed, son of Tydeus; Ajax the Greater 
and Ajax the Less, and Teucer the Archer, 
who was brother of Ajax the Greater. 

Nestor, who was the oldest man in the 
world. 

The wise Ulysses. 

Achilles, who was the bravest and strongest 
of all the Greeks, and with him his dear 
friend Patroclus. 

For nine years the Greeks besieged the city 
of Troy, but they could not break through 
the walls; and as they had been away from 
their homes for all this time, they came to 

16 


HOW THE WAR BEGAN 


be in great want of food and clothes and other 
things. So they left part of the army to 
watch the city, and with part they went 
about and spoiled other cities. Thus came 
about the great quarrel of which I am now 
going to tell. 


CHAPTER II 


THE QUARREL 



CHAPTER II 


THE QUARREL 

The Greeks took the city of Chryse and 
divided the spoils among the chiefs; to 
Agamemnon they gave a girl named Chryseis, 
who was the daughter of the priest of Apollo, 
the god who was worshipped in the city. 
Then the priest came bringing much gold, 
with which he wished to buy back his 
daughter. 

First of all he went to Agamemnon and 
his brother, and then to the other chiefs, and 
begged them to take the gold and give him 
back the girl. “So,” he said, “may the gods 
help you to take the city of Troy, and bring 
you back safe to your homes.” 

All the other chiefs were willing, but 
Agamemnon cried, “Away with you, old 
man. Do not linger here now, and do not 
come again, or it will be the worse for you, 
though you are a priest. As for your daughter, 


21 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


I will carry her back with me when I have 
taken Troy.” 

So the old man went out in great fear and 
trouble, and he prayed to Apollo to help him. 
And Apollo heard him. Very angry was the 
god that his priest should suffer such things, 
and he came down from his palace on the 
top of the mountain Olympus. He came as 
* night comes across the sky, and his arrows 
rattled terribly as he went. Then he began 
to shoot, and his arrows carried death, first to 
the dogs and the mules, and then to the men. 
For nine days the people died, and on the 
tenth day Achilles called an assembly. 

When the Greeks were gathered together 
he stood up in the middle and said: “Surely 
it would be better to go home than to stay 
here and die. Many are slain in battle, and 
still more are slain by the plague. Let us ask 
the prophets why it is that Apollo is angry 
with us.” 

Then Calchas the prophet stood up: “You 
wish to know why Apollo is angry. I will 
tell you, but first you must promise to stand 
by me, for King Agamemnon will be angry 
when he hears what I shall say.” 


22 


THE QUARREL 

“Say on,” cried Achilles; “no man shall 
harm you while I live, no, not Agamemnon 
himself.” 

Then Calchas said: “Apollo is angry 
because, when his priest came to buy back 
his daughter, Agamemnon would not listen 
to him. Now you must send back the girl, 
taking no money for her, and with her a 
hundred beasts as a sacrifice.” 

Then King Agamemnon stood up in a rage 
and cried: 

“You always prophesy evil, ill prophet 
that you are. The girl I will send back, for 
I would not have the people die, but I will 
not go without my share of the spoil.” 

“You think too much of gain, King 
Agamemnon,” said Achilles. “Surely you 
would not take from any man that which 
has been given him. Wait till Troy has been 
conquered, and then we will make up to 
you what you have lost three times over.” 

“Do not try to cheat me in this way,” 
answered Agamemnon. “My share I will 
have at once. If the Greeks will give it to 
me, well and good; but if not, then I will 
take it from one of the chiefs, from you, 

2 3 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


Achilles, or from Ajax, or from Ulysses. 
But now let us see about the sending back 
of the girl.” 

Then Achilles was altogether carried away 
with rage and said: “Never was there a 
king so shameless and so greedy of gain. 

The Trojans never did harm to me or mine. 
I have been fighting against them for your 
sake and your brother’s. And you sit in 
your tent at ease, but when the spoil is 

divided, then you have the lion’s share. 

And now you will take the little that was 

given me. I will not stay here to be shamed 
and robbed. I will go home.” 

“Go,” said xA.gamemnon, “and take your 
people with you. I have other chiefs as 
good as you, and ready to honour me, as you 
are not. But mark this: the girl Briseis, 
who was given to you as your share of the 
spoil, I will take, if I have to come and 
fetch her myself. For you must learn that 
I am master here.” 

Achilles was mad with anger to hear this, 
and said to himself, “Now I will slay this 
villain where he sits,” and he half drew his 
sword from its scabbard. But at that instant 

24 



Athene Suppressing the Fury of Achilles. 
















THE QUARREL 

the goddess Athene stood behind him and seized 
him by his long yellow hair. And when he 
turned to see who had done this, he perceived 
the goddess — but no one else in the assembly 
could see her — and said: “Are you come to 
see this villain die?” “Nay,” she answered, 
“I am come to stay your rage. Queen Hera 
and I love you both. Draw not your sword, 
but say what you will. Some day he will 
pay you back three times and four times for 
all the wrong that he shall do.” 

Achilles answered: “I will do as you 
bid; for he who hears the gods is heard by 
them.” So he thrust back his sword into the 
scabbard, and Athene went back to Olympus. 
Then he turned to Agamemnon and cried: 
“Drunkard with the eyes of a dog and the 
heart of a deer, hear what I tell you now. 
See this sceptre that I have in my hand. 
Once it was the branch of a tree; now a 
king carries it in his hand. As surely as it 
will never more shoot forth in leaves, so surely 
will the Greeks one day miss Achilles. And 
you, when you see your people falling by 
the swords of the Trojans, will be sorry that 
you have done this wrong to the bravest 

25 




ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


man in your army.” And he dashed the 
sceptre on the ground and sat down. 

Then the old man Nestor stood up and 
would have made peace between the two. 
“Listen to me,” he said. “Great chiefs of 
old, with whom no one now alive would dare 
to fight, were used to listen to me. You, 
King Agamemnon, do not take away from the 
brave Achilles the gift that the Greeks gave 
him; and you, Achilles, pay due respect to 
him who is the King of Kings in Greece.” 

So spoke Nestor, but he spoke in vain, 
for Agamemnon answered: “Peace is good; 
but this fellow would lord it over all. The 
gods have made him a great warrior, but 
they have not given him leave to set himself 
up above law and order. He must learn that 
there is one here better than he.” 

And Achilles cried: “You better than me! 
I were a slave and a coward if I owned it. 
What the Greeks gave me, let them take 
away if they will. But mark this: if you 
lay your hands on anything that is my own, 
that hour you die.” 

Then the assembly was broken up. After 
a while Agamemnon said to the heralds: 

26 


THE QUARREL 

“Go now to the tent of Achilles, and fetch 
thence the girl Briseis. And if he will not 
let her go, say that I will come with others 
to fetch her, and that it will be the worse for 
him.” 

So the heralds went, but it was much 
against their will that they did this errand. 
And when they came to that part of the 
camp where Achilles and his people were, 
they found him sitting between his tent and 
his ship. And they stood in great fear and 
shame. But when he saw them he spoke 
kind words to them, for all that his heart was 
full of rage. “Draw near, heralds. ’Tis no 
fault of yours that you are come on such an 
errand.” 

Then he turned to Patroclus and said: 
“Fetch Briseis from her tent and give her 
to the heralds. Let them be witnesses of 
this evil deed, that they may remember it 
in the day when he shall need my help and 
shall not have it.” 

So Patroclus brought out the girl and gave 
her to the heralds. And she went with them, 
much against her will, and often looking 
back. And when she was gone, Achilles 

27 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


left his companions and sat upon the sea¬ 
shore, weeping aloud and stretching out his 
hands to his mother Thetis, the daughter of 
the sea. She heard his voice where she sat 
in the depths by the side of her father, and 
rose from the sea, as a cloud rises, and 
came to him where he sat weeping, shaking 
him with her hand, and calling him by his 
name. 

“Why do you weep, my son?” she said. 

And he told her what had been done. 
And when he had finished the story, he said: 
“Now go to Olympus, to the palace of Zeus. 
You helped him once in the old time, when 
the other gods would have put him in chains, 
fetching the great giant with the hundred 
hands to sit by his side, so that no one dared 
to touch him. Remind him of these things, 
and ask him to help the Trojans, and to make 
the Greeks flee before them, so that Agamem¬ 
non may learn how foolish he has been.” 

His mother said: “Surely, my son, your 
lot is very hard. Your life must be short, 
and it should be happy; but, as it seems to 
me, it is both short and sad. Truly I will 
go to Zeus, but not now; for he is gone with 

28 


THE QUARREL 

the other gods to a twelve days’ feast. But 
when he comes back, then I will go to him 
and persuade him. Meanwhile do you sit 
still, and do not go forth to battle.” 

Meanwhile Ulysses was taking back the 
priest’s daughter to her father. Very glad 
was he to see her again, and he prayed to 
his god that the plague among the Greeks 
might cease, and so it happened. But Achilles 
sat in his tent and fretted, for there was 
nothing that he liked so much as the cry of 
the battle. 


29 


CHAPTER III 


WHAT THETIS DID FOR HER SON 



CHAPTER III 


WHAT THETIS DID FOR HER SON 

When the twelve days of feasting were over, 
Thetis rose out of the sea and went her way 
to Olympus. There she found Zeus sitting 
alone on the highest peak of the mountain. 
She knelt down before him, and her left hand 
she laid upon his knees, and with her right she 
caught hold of his beard. Then she made 
this prayer to him: — 

“O father Zeus, if I have ever helped thee 
at all, now give me what I ask, namely, that 
my son Achilles may have honour done to 
him. Agamemnon has shamed him, taking 
away the gift that the Greeks gave him. Do 
thou, therefore, make the Trojans prevail for 
a while in battle, so that the Greeks may find 
that they cannot do without him. So shall 
my son have honour.” 

For a long time Zeus sat saying nothing, 
for he knew that great trouble would come 

33 


c 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


out of this thing. But Thetis still held him 
fast by the knees and by the beard; and she 
spoke again, saying: “Promise me this thing, 
and make your promise sure by nodding your 
head; or, else, say outright that you will not 
do it. Then I shall know that you despise 
me.” 

Zeus answered: “This is a hard thing that 
you ask. You will make a dreadful quarrel 
between me and the Lady Hera, my wife, 
and she will say many bitter words to me. 
Even now she tells me that I favour the 
Trojans too much. Go, then, as quickly as 
you can, that she may not know that you 
have been here, and I will think how I may 
best do what you ask. And see, I will make 
my promise sure with a nod, for when I nod 
my head, then the thing may not be repented 
of or undone.” 

So he nodded his head, and all Olympus 
was shaken. 

Then Thetis went away, and dived down 
into the sea. And Zeus went to his palace, 
and when he came in at the door, all the 
gods rose up in their places, and stood till he 
sat down on his throne. But Hera knew that 


34 


WHAT THETIS DID 


Thetis had been with him, and she was very 
angry, and spoke bitter words: “Who has 
been with you, O lover of plots ? When I 
am not here, then you take a pleasure in hid¬ 
ing what you do, and in keeping things from 
me.” 

Zeus answered: “O Hera, do not think to 
know all my thoughts; that is too hard for 
you, even though you are my wife. That 
which it is right for you to know, I will tell 
you before I tell it to any other god; but 
there are matters which I keep to myself. 
Do not seek to know these.” 

But Hera was even more angry than before. 
“What say you?” she cried. “I do not pry 
into your affairs. Settle them as you will. 
But this I know, that Thetis with the silver 
feet has been with you, and I greatly fear 
that she has had her way. At dawn of day 
I saw her kneeling before you; yes, and you 
nodded your head. I am sure that you have 
promised her that Achilles should have honour. 
Ah me! many of the Greeks will die for this.” 

Then Zeus answered: “Truly there is noth¬ 
ing that you do not find out, witch that 
you are. But, if it be as you say, then know 

35 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


that such is my will. Do you sit still and 
obey. All the gods in Olympus cannot save 
you, if once I lay my hands upon you.” 

Hera sat still and said nothing, for she was 
very much afraid. Then her son, the god 
who made arms and armour and cups and 
other things out of silver and gold and copper, 
said to her: “It would be a great pity if you 
and the Father of the gods should quarrel on 
account of a man. Make peace with him, 
and do not make him angry again. It would 
be a great grief to me if I were to see you 
beaten before my eyes; for, indeed, I could 
not help you. Once before when I tried to 
come between him and you, he took me by 
the foot and threw me out of the door of 
heaven. All day I fell, and at evening I 
lighted in the island of Lemnos.” 

Then he thought how he might turn 
the thoughts of the company to something 
else. There was a very beautiful boy who 
used to carry the wine round. The god, who 
was a cripple, took his place, and mixed the 
cup, and hobbled round with it, puffing for 
breath as he went, and all the gods fell into 
great fits of laughter when they saw him. 

36 


WHAT THETIS DID 


So the feast went on, and Apollo and the 
Muses sang, and no one thought any more 
about the quarrel. 

But while all the other gods were sleeping, 
Zeus remained awake, thinking how he might 
do what Thetis had asked of him for her son. 
The best thing seemed to be to deceive Aga¬ 
memnon, and make him think that he could 
take the city of Troy without the help of 
Achilles. So he called a Dream, and said 
to it: “Go, Dream, to the tent of Agamem¬ 
non, and tell him that if he will lead his army 
to battle, he will take the city of Troy.” 

So the Dream went, and it took the shape 
of Nestor, whom the King thought to be the 
wisest of the Greeks, and stood by his bedside 
and said: “Why do you waste your time in 
sleep ? Arm the Greeks, and lead them out 
to battle, for you will take the city of Troy.” 

And the King believed, that this false dream 
was true. 


37 


CHAPTER IV 


THE DUEL OF PARIS AND 
MENELAUS 



CHAPTER IV 


THE DUEL OF LARIS AND MENELAUS 

On the day after the False Dream had come 
to him Agamemnon called all his army to go 
out to battle. All the chiefs were glad to 
fight, for they thought that at last the long 
war was coming to an end. Only Achilles 
and his people stopped behind. And the 
Trojans, on the other hand, set their army in 
order. 

Before they began to fight, Paris, who had 
been the cause of all the trouble, came out in 
front of the line. He had a panther’s skin 
over his shoulders, and a bow and a quiver 
slung upon his back, for he was a great 
archer; by his side there hung a sword, and 
in each hand he carried a spear. He cried 
aloud to the Greeks: “ Send out the strongest 
and bravest man you have to fight with me.” 
When King Menelaus heard this, he said to 
himself: “ Now this is my enemy; I will 

41 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


fight with him, and no one else.” So he 
jumped down from his chariot, and ran out 
in front of the line of Greeks. But when 
Paris saw him he was very much afraid, and 
turned his back and ran behind the line of 
the Trojans. 

Now the best and bravest of the Trojans 
was a certain Hector. He was one of the 
sons of King Priam; if it had not been for 
him the city would have been taken long 
before. When he saw Paris run away he 
was very angry, and said: “O Paris, you 
are good to look at, but you are worth 
nothing. And the Greeks think that you 
are the bravest man we have! You were 
brave enough to go across the sea tod steal 
the Fair Helen from her husband, and now 
when he comes out to fight with you, you 
run away. The Trojans ought to have stoned 
you to death long ago/’ 

Paris answered: “You speak the truth, 
great Hector; I am, indeed, greatly to be 
blamed. As for you, you care for nothing 
but battles, and your heart is made of iron. 
But now listen to me: set Menelaiis and 
me to fight, man to man, and let him that 

42 


THE DUEL 


conquers have the Fair Helen and all her 
possessions. If he kills me, let him take her 
and depart; but if I kill him, then she shall 
stay here. So, whatever may happen, you 
will dwell in peace.” 

Hector was very glad to hear his brother 
Paris speak in this way. And he went along 
the line of the Trojans, holding his spear in 
the middle. This he did to show that he 
was not meaning to fight, and to keep his 
men in their places that they should not 
begin the battle. At first the Greeks made 
ready spears and stones to throw at him, but 
Agamemnon cried out: “Hold your hands; 
great Hector has something to say.” 

Then every one stood still and listened. 
And Hector said: “Hear, Trojans and Greeks, 
what Paris says, Paris, who is the cause of this 
quarrel between us. ‘ Let Menelaiis and me 
fight together. Every one else, whether he is 
Greek or Trojan, shall lay his arms upon the 
ground, and look on while we two fight to¬ 
gether. For the Fair Helen and her riches 
we will fight, and the rest will cease from war 
and be good friends for ever/” 

When Hector had spoken, King Menelaiis 

43 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


stood up and said: “Listen to me, for this 
is my affair. It is well that the Greeks and 
Troj ans should be at peace, for there is no 
quarrel between them. Let me and Paris 
fight together, and let him of us two be slain 
whose fate it is to die. And now let us make 
a sacrifice to the gods, and swear a great oath 
over it that we will keep to our agreement. 
Only let King Priam himself come and offer 
the sacrifice and take the oath, for he is more 
to be trusted than the young men his sons.” 

So spoke Menelaiis; and both the armies 
were glad, for they were tired of the war. 

Then Hector sent a messenger to Troy to 
fetch King Priam, and to bring sheep for the 
sacrifice. And while the herald was on his 
way, one of the gods put it into the heart 
of the Fair Helen as she sat in her hall to 
go out to the wall and see the army of the 
Greeks. So she went, leaving the needle¬ 
work with which she was busy, a great piece 
of embroidery, on which the battles between 
the Greeks and the Trojans were worked. 

Now King Priam sat on the wall, and with 
him were the other princes of the city, old 
men who could no longer fight, but could 

44 


THE DUEL 


take counsel and make beautiful speeches. 
They saw the Fair Helen as she came, and one 
of them said to another: “See how beautiful 
she is! And yet it would be better that she 
should go back to her own country, than that 
she should stop here and bring a curse upon 
us and our children.” 

But Priam called to her and said: “Come 
hither, my daughter, and see your friends and 
kinsmen in yonder army, and tell us about 
them. Who is that warrior there, so fair 

and strong ? There are others who are even 
a head taller than he is, but there is no one 
who is so like a king.” 

“That,” said Helen, “is Agamemnon, a 
brave soldier and a wise king, and my brother- 
in-law in the old days.” 

And King Priam cried: “Happy Aga¬ 

memnon, to rule over so many brave men 
as I see in yonder army! But tell me who 
is that warrior there, who is walking through 
the ranks of his men, and making them 
stand in good order ? He is not so tall 

as Agamemnon, but he is broader in the 

shoulders.” 

“That,” said Helen, “is Ulysses of Ithaca, 

45 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


who is wiser than all other men, and gives 
better advice.” 

“You speak truly, fair lady,” said one of 
the old men, Antenor by name. “Well do 
I remember Ulysses when he came with 
Menelaiis on an embassy. They were guests 
in my house, and I knew them well. And 
when there was an assembly of the Trojans 
to hear them speak on the business for which 
they came, I remember how they looked. When 
they were standing, Menelaiis was the taller; 
but when they sat down, then Ulysses was 
the nobler of the two to look at. And when 
they spoke, Menelaiis said but a few words, 
and said them wisely and well; and Ulysses 
— at first you might have taken him to be a 
fool, so stiffly did he hold his staff, and so 
awkward did he seem, with his eyes cast down 
upon the ground; but when he began to 
speak, how grand was his voice and how his 
words poured out, thick as the falling snow! 
There never was a speaker such as he, and we 
thought no more about his looks.” 

Then King Priam asked again: “Who is 
that mighty hero, so big and strong, taller 
than all the rest by his head and shoulders?” 

46 



THE DUEL 


“That,” said Helen, “is Ajax, a tower of 
strength to the Greeks. And other chiefs I 
see whom I know and could name. But my 
own dear brothers, Castor, tamer of horses, 
and Pollux, the mighty boxer, I see not. Is 
it that they are ashamed to come on account 
of me?” 

So she spoke, not knowing that they were 
dead. 

And now came the messenger to tell King 
Priam that the armies wanted him. So he 
went and Antenor with him, and they took 
the sheep for sacrifice. Then King Priam, on 
behalf of the Trojans, and King Agamemnon, 
on behalf of the Greeks, offered sacrifice, and 
made an agreement, confirming it with an 
oath, that Menelaiis and Paris should fight 
together, and that Fair Helen with her treas¬ 
ure should belong to him who should prevail. 

When this was done, King Priam said: “I 
will go back to Troy, for I could not bear to 
see my dear son fighting with Menelaiis.” 
So he climbed into the chariot, and Antenor 
took the reins and they went back to Troy. 

Then Hector for the Trojans, and Ulysses 
for the Greeks, marked out a space for the 

47 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

fight, and Hector put two pebbles into a 
helmet, one for Paris and one for Menelaiis. 
These he shook, looking away as he did so, 
for it was agreed that the man whose pebble 
should first fly out of the helmet, should be 
the first to cast his spear at the other. And 
this might be much to his gain, for the spear, 
being well thrown, might kill his adversary or 
wound him to death, and he himself would 
not come into danger. And it so happened 
that the pebble of Paris first flew out. Then 
the two warriors armed themselves, and came 
into the space that had been marked out, and 
stood facing each other. Very fierce were 
their eyes, so that it could be seen how they 
hated each other. First Paris threw his spear. 
It hit the shield of Menelaiis, but did not 
pierce it, for the point was bent back. Then 
Menelaiis threw his spear; but first he prayed: 
“Grant, Father Zeus, that I may have ven¬ 
geance on Paris, who has done me this great 
wrong!” And the spear went right through 
the shield, and through the armour that Paris 
wore upon his body, and through the tunic 
that was under the armour. But Paris shrank 
away, so that the spear did not wound him. 

48 


THE DUEL 


Then Menelaus drew his sword, and struck 
the helmet of Paris on the top with a great 
blow, but the sword was broken into four 
pieces. Then he rushed upon Paris and caught 
him by the helmet, and dragged him towards 
the army of the Greeks; neither could Paris 
help himself, for the strap of the helmet 
choked him. Then, indeed, would Paris 
have been taken prisoner and killed, but that 
the goddess Aphrodite helped him, for he was 
her favourite. She loosed the strap under his 
chin, and the helmet came off in the hand of 
Menelaus. The King threw it among the 
Greeks, and, taking another spear in his hand, 
ran furiously at Paris. But the goddess covered 
him with a mist, and so snatched him away, 
and set him down in his own house at Troy. 
Everywhere did Menelaus look for him, but 
he could not find him. It was no one of the 
Trojans that hid him, for they all hated him 
as death. 

Then said King Agamemnon in a loud voice: 
“Now must you Trojans keep the covenant 
that you have made with an oath. You must 
give back the Fair Helen and her treasures, 
and we will take her and leave you in peace.” 

49 


D 



CHAPTER V 


HOW THE OATH WAS BROKEN 



CHAPTER V 


HOW THE OATH WAS BROKEN 

Now, if the Trojans had kept the promise 
which they had made, confirming it with an 
oath, it would have been well with them. 
But it was not to be. And this is how it 
came to pass that the oath was broken and 
the promise was not kept. 

Among the chiefs who came from the 
countries round about to help King Priam 
and the Trojans there was a certain Pandarus, 
son of the King of Lycia. He was a great 
archer, and could shoot an arrow as far and 
with as good an aim as any man in the army. 
To this Pandarus, as he stood waiting for what 
should next happen, there came a youth, a son 
of King Priam. Such, indeed, he seemed to 
be, but in truth the goddess Athene had taken 
his shape, for she and, as has been before said, 
the goddess Hera hated the city of Troy, and 
desired to bring it to ruin. 

53 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


The false Trojan came up to Pandarus, as 
he stood among his men, and said to him.* 
‘‘Prince of Lycia, dare you shoot an arrow at 
Menelaus? Truly the Trojans would love 
you well, and Paris best of all, if they could 
see Menelaus killed with an arrow from 
your bow. Shoot at him as he stands, not 

thinking of any danger, but first vow to 
sacrifice a hundred beasts to Zeus, so 

soon as you shall get back to your own 

country.” 

Pandarus had a bow made out of the horns 
of a wild goat which he had killed. It was 
four feet long from end to end, and on each 
end there was a tip of gold on which the 

bow-string was fixed. While he was string¬ 
ing his bow, his men stood round and 

hid him; and when he had strung it, 

he took an arrow from his quiver, and 

laid it on the string, and drew back the 

string till it touched his breast, and then let 
the arrow fly. 

But though none of the Greeks saw what 
Pandarus was doing, Athene saw it, and she 
flew to where Menelaus stood, and kept the 
arrow from doing him a deadly hurt. She 

54 


HOW THE OATH WAS BROKEN 


would not ward it off altogether, for she knew 
that the Greeks would be angry' to see the 
King whom they loved so treacherously 
wounded, and would have no peace with the 
Trojans. So she guided it to where there 
was a space between the belt and the breast¬ 
plate. There it struck the King, passing 
through the edge of the belt and through the 
garment that was under the belt and piercing 
the skin; and the red blood gushed out, and 
dyed the thighs and the legs and the ankles 
of the King, as a woman dyes a piece of white 
ivory to make an ornament for a king’s war- 
horse. 

Now Agamemnon was standing near, and 
when he saw the blood gush out he cried: 
“Oh, my brother, it was a foolish thing that 
I did, when I made a covenant with the 
Trojans, for they are wicked men and break 
their oaths. I know that they who do such 
things will suffer for them. Sooner or later 
the man who breaks his oath will perish 
miserably. Nevertheless, it will be a great 
shame and sorrow if you, my brother, should 
be killed in this way. For the Greeks will 
go to their homes, saying: ‘Why should we 

55 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


fight any more for Menelaiis, seeing that he 
is dead?’ And the Fair Helen for whom 
we have been fighting these many years will 
be left behind; and one of these false Trojans 
will say when he sees the tomb of Menelaiis: 
‘Surely the great Agamemnon has not got 
that for which he came. For he brought a 
great army to destroy the city of Troy, but 
Troy still stands, and he and his army have 
gone back: only he has left his brother 
behind him/” 

But Menelaiis said: “Do not trouble your¬ 
self, my brother, for the wound is not deep. 
See, here is the barb of the arrow.” 

Then King Agamemnon commanded that 
they should fetch Machaon, the great physi¬ 
cian. So Machaon came, and drew the arrow 
out of the wound, and wiped away the blood, 
and put healing drugs upon the place, which 
took away all the pain. 

After this King Agamemnon went through 
the army to see that it was ready for battle. 
When he found any one bestirring himself, 
putting his men in order, and doing such 
things as it was his duty to do, him he praised; 
and if he saw any one idle and slow to move, 

56 


HOW THE OATH WAS BROKEN 


him he rebuked. When all were ready, then 
the host went forward. In silence it went; 
but the Trojans, on the other hand, were as 
noisy as a flock of sheep, which bleats when 
they hear the voice of the lambs. 




57 


% 


CHAPTER VI 


THE GREAT DEEDS OF DIOMED 






















CHAPTER VI 


THE GREAT DEEDS OF DIOMED 

Many great deeds were done that day, and 
many chiefs showed themselves to be valiant 
men, but the greatest deeds were done by 
Diomed, and of all the chiefs there was not 
one who could be matched with him. No 
one could tell, so fierce was he, and so swiftly 
did he charge, in which host he was fighting, 
whether with the Greeks or with the sons of 
Troy. After a while the great archer Pan- 
darus aimed an arrow at him, and hit him 
on the right shoulder. And when Pandarus 
saw that he had hit him, for the blood started 
out from the wound, he cried out in great 
joy: “On, men of Troy; I have wounded 
the bravest of the Greeks. He will soon 
either fall dead in his chariot, or grow so 
weak that he can fight no longer.” 

But Diomed was not to be conquered in 
this fashion. He leapt down from his chariot, 

61 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


and said to the man who drove the horses: 
“Come and draw this arrow out of the 
wound.” And this the driver did, and when 
Diomed saw the blood spirt out from the 
wound he prayed to the goddess Athene: 
“O goddess, stand by me, as you did always 
stand by my father. And as for the man who 
has wounded me, let him come within a 
spear’s cast of me, and he will never boast 
again.” And Athene heard his prayer, and 
came and stood beside him, and took away 
the pain from his wound, and put new 
strength into his hands and feet. “Be bold, 
O Diomed, and fight against the men of 
Troy. As I stood by your father, so will I 
stand by you.” 

Then Diomed fought even more fiercely 
than before, just as a lion which a shepherd 
has wounded a little when he leaps into the 
fold, grows yet more savage, so it was with 
Diomed. And as he went to and fro through 
the battle, slaying all whom he met, Tineas, 
who was the bravest of the Trojans after 
Hector, thought how he might best be 
stopped. So he passed through the army till 
he came to where Pandarus the archer stood. 

62 


GREAT DEEDS OF DIOMED 


To him he said: “Where are your bow 
and arrows ? Do you see this man how 
he is dealing death wherever he goes ? 
Shoot an arrow at him; but first make 
your prayers to Zeus that you may not shoot 
in vain.” 

Pandarus answered: “This man is Diomed. 
I know his shield and his helmet; the horses 
too are his. Some god, I am sure, stands by 
him and defends him. Only just now I sent 
an arrow at him, yes, and hit him in the 
shoulder. I thought that I had wounded 
him to the death, for I saw the blood spirt 
out; but I have not hurt him at all. And 
now I do not know what I can do, for I have 
no chariot here. Eleven chariots I have at 
home, and my father would have had me 
bring one of them with me. But I would 
not, for I was afraid that the horses would 
not have provender enough, being shut up 
in the city of Troy. So I came without a 
chariot, trusting in my bow, and lo! it has 
failed me these two times. Two of the 
chiefs I have hit, first Menelaiis and then this 
Diomed. Yes, I hit them, and I saw the 
red blood flow, but I have not harmed them. 

63 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


Surely if ever I get back safe to my home, I 
will break this useless bow/' 

Then iEneas said to him: “Nay, my friend, 
do not talk in this way. If you have no 
chariot, then come in mine, and see what 
horses we have in Troy. If Diomed should 
be too strong for us, still they will carry us 
safely back to Troy. Take the reins and 
the whip, and I will fight; or, if you would 
rather, do you fight and I will drive.” 

Pandarus said: “It is best that the horses 
should have the driver whom they know. If 
we should have to flee, they might stand still 
or turn aside, missing their master's voice.” 

Now Diomed was on foot, for he had not 
gone back to his chariot, and his charioteer 
was by his side. And the man said to him: 
“Look there; two mighty warriors, Pan¬ 
darus and iEneas, are coming against us. It 
would be well for us to go back to the chariot, 
that we may fight with them on equal terms.” 
But Diomed answered: “Do not talk of 
going back. I am not one of those who go 
back. As for my chariot, I do not want it. 
As I am, I will go against these men. Both 
of them, surely, shall not go back, even if one 

64 


GREAT DEEDS OF DIOMED 


should escape. And if I slay them, then do 
you climb into the chariot and drive it away. 
There are no horses in the world as good as 
these, for they are of the breed which Zeus 
himself gave to King Tros.” 

While he was speaking the two Trojan 
chiefs came near, and Pandarus cast his spear 
at Diomed. It pierced the shield and also 
the belt, so strongly was it thrown, but it 
went no further. But Pandarus cried: “Aha! 
you are hit in the loin. This wound will 

stay you from fighting.” “Not so,” said 
Diomed, “you have not wounded me at all. 
But now see what I will send.” And he 
threw his spear, nor did he throw in vain, 
for it passed through the warrior’s nose and 
teeth and tongue, and stood out under his 
chin. And the man fell from his chariot, 

and the armour clashed loudly upon him. 
But iEneas would not leave his comrade. 
He leapt from the chariot, and stood with 

shield and spear over the body, as a lion 
stands over the carcase of some beast which 
it has killed. Now Diomed had no spear in 
his hand, neither could he draw out from 
the dead body that which he had thrown. 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


Therefore he stooped and took up from the 
ground a big stone — so big was it that two 
men such as men are now could scarcely lift 
it up — and threw it at iEneas. On the hip 
it struck him and crushed the bone, and the 
hero fell upon his knees, and clutched at the 
ground with his hands, and everything grew 
dark before his eyes. Thus had he died, but 
for his mother, the goddess Aphrodite. She 
caught him up in her arms, and threw her 
veil over him to hide him. But Diomed did 
not like that he should escape, and he rushed 
with his spear at the goddess and wounded 
her in the arm, and the blood gushed out —- 
such blood as flows in the veins of gods, who 
eat not the food nor drink the drink of men. 
She dropped her son with a loud shriek and 
fled up into the sky. And the bold Diomed 
called after her: “You should not join in 
the battle, daughter of Zeus. You have to 
do not with men but with women.” But 
Apollo caught up iEneas when his mother 
dropped him. Even then Diomed was loath 
to let him escape, for he was bent on killing 
him and stripping him of his arms. Three 
times did he spring forward, and three times 

66 




GREAT DEEDS OF DIOMED 


did Apollo put back his shining shield. And 
when he came to the fourth time, Apollo 
called out to him in an awful voice: “Beware, 
Diomed; do not think to fight with gods.” 
Then Diomed fell back, for he was afraid. 
But Apollo carried iEneas to the citadel of 
Troy, and there his mother Latona and his 
sister Artemis healed the hero of his wounds. 
But he left an image of the hero in the midst 
of the battle, and over him the Greeks and 
the Trojans fought, as if it had been the 
real iEneas. 


67 












CHAPTER VII 


CONCERNING OTHER VALIANT 

DEEDS 



CHAPTER VII 


CONCERNING OTHER VALIANT DEEDS 

Now among the chiefs who came to help 
King Priam and the Trojans there was a 
certain Sarpedon, who was Prince of Lycia, 
and with him there was one Glaucus who was 
his cousin. When Sarpedon saw how Diomed 
was laying waste the army of the Trojans, and 
that no man was willing or able to stand up 
against him, he said to Hector: “Where are 
your boasts, O Hector? You used to say that 
you could keep the city of Troy safe, without 
your people, and without us, who have come 
to help you. Yes, you and your brothers and 
your brothers-in-law would be enough, you 
said; but now I look about me, and I cannot 
see one of them. They all go and hide them¬ 
selves, as dogs before a lion. It is we who 
keep up the battle. Look at me; I have 
come far to help you, even from the land of 
Lycia, where I have left wife and child and 

7 1 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


wealth. Nor do I shrink back from the fight, 
but you also should do your part.” 

These words stung Hector to the heart. 
He jumped down from his chariot, and went 
through the army, telling the men to be brave. 
And Ares brought back iEneas with his 
wound healed, and he himself went back with 
Hector, in the shape of a man. And even 
the brave Diomed, when he saw him, and 
knew that he was a god, held back a little, 
saying to his companions: “See, Hector is 
coming, and Ares is with him, in the shape 
of a man. Let us give way a little, for we 
must not fight with gods; but we will still 
keep our faces to the enemy.” 

Just then a great Greek warrior, who was 
one of the sons of Hercules, the strongest of 
men, was killed by Sarpedon the Lycian. 
This man cried out to Sarpedon: “What 
are you doing here? You are foolish to 
fight with men who are better than you are. 
Men say that you are a son of Zeus, but the 
sons of Zeus are braver and stronger than 
you. Are you as good as my father Hercules ? 
Have you not heard how he came to this city 
of Troy, and broke down the walls, and spoiled 

72 


OTHER VALIANT DEEDS 


the houses, because the King of Troy cheated 
him of his pay ? For my father saved the 
King’s daughter from a great monster of the 
sea, and the King promised him a team of 
horses, but did not keep his promise. And 
you have come to help the Trojans, so they 
say; small help will you be to them, when 
I have killed you.” 

Sarpedon answered: “’Tis true that your 
father broke down the walls of Troy, and 
spoiled the houses; the King of the city had 
cheated him and he was rightly punished for 
it. But you shall not do what he did; no, 
for I shall kill you first.” 

Then the two warriors threw their spears. 
At the same moment they threw them, and 
both of them hit the mark. The spear of 
Sarpedon went right through the neck of 
the Greek, so that he fell down dead; and 
the spear of the Greek hit Sarpedon on the 
thigh of the left leg, and went through it 
close to the bone. It went very near to kill¬ 
ing him; but it was not his fate to die that 
day. So his men carried him out of the battle, 
with the spear sticking in the wound, for no 
one thought of drawing it out, so great was 

73 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


their hurry. As they were carrying him 
along, Hector passed by, and he cried out: 
“O Hector, do not let the Greeks take me! 
Let me, at least, die in your city which I 
came to help; for to Lycia I shall not go 
back, nor shall I see again my wife and my 
child.” But Hector did not heed him, so 
eager was he to fight. So the men carried 
him to the great oak tree, and laid him down 
in the shade of it, and one of them drew the 
spear out of the wound. When it was drawn 
out he fainted, but the cool north wind blew 
on him and refreshed him, and he breathed 
again. 

At this time the Greeks were being driven 
back; many were killed and many were 
wounded. For Flector, with Ares by his 
side, was so fierce and strong that no one 
dared to stand up against him. When the 
two goddesses, Hera and Athene, who loved 
the Greeks, saw this, they said to Zeus: 
“Father, do you see how furiously Ares is 
raging in the battle, driving the Greeks before 
him ? May we stop him before he destroys 
them altogether?” Zeus said: “You may 
do what you please.” Then they yoked the 

74 


OTHER VALIANT DEEDS 


horses to Hera’s chariot and went as fast as 
they could to the earth. Very fast they went, 
for every stride of the horses was over as much 
space as a man can see when he sits upon a cliff 
and looks over the sea to where the sky seems to 
come down upon it. When they came to the 
plain of Troy, they unharnessed the horses at a 
place where the two rivers met. They covered 
them and the chariot with a mist that no one 
might be able to see them, and they themselves 
flew as doves fly to where the Greeks and 
Trojans were fighting. There Hera took the 
shape of Stentor, who could shout as loud as 
fifty men shouting at once, and cried: “Shame, 
men of Greece! when Achilles came to battle 
the Trojans scarcely dared to go beyond the 
gates of their city, but now they are driving 
you to your ships.” Athene went to Diomed, 
where he was standing and wiping away the 
blood from the wound which the arrow had 
made. “You are not like your father; he 
was a little man, but he was a great fighter. 
I do not know whether you are holding back 
because you are tired or because you are afraid; 
but certainly you are not like him.” 

Diomed knew who it was that was speak- 

75 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


ing to him, and answered: “Great goddess, 
I am not holding back because I am tired or 
because I am afraid. You yourself said to 
me: ‘Do not fight against any god; only if 
Aphrodite comes into the battle, you may 
fight against her.’ And this I have done. 
Her I wounded on the wrist and drove away; 
but when Apollo carried away iEneas from 
me, then I held back. And now I see Ares 
rushing to and fro through the battle, and I 
do not dare to go against him.” 

Then said Athene: “Do not be afraid of 
Ares. I will come with you, and you shall 
wound him with your spear, and drive him 
away from the battle.” 

Then she pushed Diomed’s charioteer with 
her hand, but the man did not see who it 
was that pushed him. And when he jumped 
down from the chariot she took his place, 
and caught the reins in her hand, and lashed 
the horses. Straight at Ares she drove, where 
he was standing by a Greek whom he had 
killed. Now Athene had put on her head 
the helmet of Hades, that is to say, of the 
god who rules the dead; Ares did not see 
her, for no one who wears the helmet can 

76 


OTHER VALIANT DEEDS 


be seen. And he rushed at Diomed, thinking 
to kill him, and threw his spear with all his 
might. But Athene put out her hand and 
turned the spear aside, so that it flew through 
the air and hurt no one. Then Diomed 
thrust his spear at Ares, and Athene leant 
all her weight upon it, so that it pierced the 
god just below the girdle. And when Ares 
felt the spear, he shouted with the pain as 
loud as an army of ten thousand men shouts 
when it goes forth to battle. And Diomed 
saw him rise up to the sky as a thunder-cloud 
arises. 

And this was the greatest of the deeds of 
Diomed, that he wounded Ares, the god of 
war, and drove him out of the battle. 


77 





CHAPTER VIII 


OF GLAUCUS AND DIOMED 






CHAPTER VIII 


OF GLAUCUS AND DIOMED 

And now the Trojans, in their turn, were 
driven back, for they could make no stand 
against the Greeks. Now there was one 
of the sons of King Priam who was a very 
wise prophet, and knew all that men should 
do to win the favour and help of the gods, 
and his name was Helenus. This man went 
up to Hector, and said to him and to iEneas, 
who was standing near him: “Make the 
army fall back and get as close to the walls 
as may be, for it will be safer there than in 
the open plain. And go through the ranks, 
and speak to the men, and put as much cour¬ 
age into them as you can. And when you 
have done this, do you, Hector, go into the 
city, and tell your mother to gather together 
the daughters of Troy, and go with them to 
the temple of Athene, taking with her the 
most precious robe that she has, and lay the 
F 81 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


robe on the knees of the goddess, and promise 
to sacrifice twelve heifers, and beseech her to 
have pity on us and to keep this Diomed 
from the walls. Never did I see so fierce a 
man; even Achilles himself was not so ter¬ 
rible as he is, so dreadful is he and so fierce. 
Go, and come back as soon as you can, and 
we will do what we can to bear up against 
the Greeks while you are away.” 

So Hector went through the ranks, bidding 
the men be of good courage; and when he 
had done this he went into the city. 

And now the Trojans had a little rest. The 
way in which this happened shall now be 
told. 

Sarpedon the Lycian had a cousin, Glaucus 
by name: the two were sons of brothers. 
This Glaucus, being one of the bravest of 
men, went in front of the Trojan line to 
meet Diomed. When Diomed saw him, he 
said: “Tell me, mighty man of valour, who 
you are, for I have never seen you before; 
for this is a bold thing that you have done to 
come out in front of your comrades and to 
stand up against me. Truly those men whose 
children come in my way in battle are un- 

82 


OF GLAUCUS AND DIOMED 


lucky. Tell me then who you are, for if you 
are a god from heaven, then I will not fight 
with you. Already to-day have I done enough 
fighting with them, for it is an unlucky thing 
to do. King Lycurgus, in the land of Thrace, 
fought with a god, and it was a bad thing for 
him that he did so, for he did not live long. 
He drove Bacchus, the god of wine, into the 
sea. But the other gods were angry with 
him for this cause, and Zeus made him blind, 
and he perished miserably. But if you are no 
god, but a mortal man, then draw near that I 
may kill you with my spear.” 

Glaucus said: “ Brave Diomed, why do 
you ask who I am, and who was my father, 
and my father’s father ? The generations of 
men are like the leaves on the trees. In the 
spring they shoot forth, and in the autumn 
they fall, and the wind blows them to and fro. 
And then when the spring comes others shoot 
forth, and these also fall in their time. So 
are the generations of men; one goes and 
another comes. Still, if you would hear of 
what race I come, listen. In a certain city 
of Greece which is called Corinth there dwelt 
a great warrior, Bellerophon by name. Some 

83 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

one spoke evil of this man falsely to the King 
of the city, and the King believed this false 
thing, and plotted his death. He was ashamed 
to kill him, but he sent him with a message 
to the King of Lycia. This message was 
written on a tablet, and the tablet was folded 
up in a cover, and the cover was sealed. But 
on the tablet was written: 'This is a wicked 
man; cause him to die.’ So Bellerophon 
travelled to Lycia. And when he was come 
to the King’s palace, the King made a great 
feast for him. For nine days did the feast 
last, and every day an ox was killed and eaten. 
On the morning of the tenth day the King 
said: ‘ Let me see the message which you 
have brought.’ And when he had read it he 
thought how he might cause the man to die. 
First he sent him to conquer a great monster 
that there was in that country, called the 
Chimaera. Many men had tried to conquer 
it, but it had killed them all. It had the 
head of a lion, and its middle parts were those 
of a goat, and it had the tail of a serpent; 
and it breathed out flames of fire. This 
monster he killed, the gods helping him. 
Then the King sent him against a very fierce 

84 


OF GLAUCUS AND DIOMED 


tribe of men, who were called the Solymi. 
These he conquered after much fighting, for, 
as he said himself, there never were warriors 
stronger than they. After this he fought 
with the Amazons, who were women fighting 
with the arms of men, and these also he con¬ 
quered. And when he was coming back 
from fighting with the Amazons, the King 
set an ambush against him, choosing for it 
the bravest men in the whole land of Lycia. 
But Bellerophon killed them all, and came 
back safe to the King’s palace. When the 
King saw this, he said to himself: ‘The gods 
love this man; he cannot be wicked.’ So 
he asked him about himself, and Bellerophon 
told him the whole truth. Then the King 
divided his kingdom with him, and gave him 
his daughter to wife. Three sons he had, of 
whom one was the father of Sarpedon and 
one was my father. And when my father 
sent me hither he said: ‘Always seek to be 
the first, and to be worthy of those who have 
gone before.’ This, then, brave Diomed, is 
the race to which I belong.” 

When Diomed heard this he was very 
glad, and said: “It is well that we did not 

85 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


fight, for we ought to be friends, as our fathers 
were before us. Long ago iEneus entertained 
Bellerbphon in his house. For twenty days 
he kept him. And when they parted they 
gave great gifts to each other, the one a belt 
embroidered with purple, and the other a cup 
of gold with a mouth on either side of it. 
Now iEneus was my grandfather, as Bellero- 
phon was yours. If then you should come 
to Corinth you will be my guest, and I will 
be yours if I go to the land of Lycia. But 
now we will not fight together. There are 
many Trojans and allies of the Trojans whom 
I may kill if I can overcome them, and there 
are many Greeks for you to fight with and to 
conquer, if you can. But we two will not 
fight together. And now let us exchange our 
armour, that all men may know that we are 
friends.” 

So the two chiefs jumped down from their 
chariots and exchanged their armour. And 
men said afterwards that Glaucus had lost his 
wits, for he gave armour of gold in exchange 
for armour of brass, armour that was worth 
a hundred oxen for armour that was worth 
nine only. 


86 


CHAPTER IX 


HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE 


* 












CHAPTER IX 


HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE 

When Hector passed through the gates into 
the city, hundreds of Trojan women crowded 
round him, asking what had happened to 
their sons or their husbands. But he said 
nothing to them, except to bid them pray 
that the gods would protect those whom they 
loved. When he came to the palace there 
met him his mother, Queen Hecuba. She 
caught him by the hand, and said: “O Hector, 
why have you come from the battle ? Have 
the Greeks been pressing you hard ? or have 
you come, maybe, to pray for help from 
Father Zeus? Let me bring a cup of wine, 
that you may pour out an offering to the 
god, aye, and that you may drink yourself and 
cheer your heart.” 

But Hector said: “Mother, give me no 
wine, lest it should make my knees weak, and 
take the courage out of my heart. Nor must 

89 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


I make an offering to the god with my hands 
unwashed. What I would have you do is 
this — gather the mothers of Troy together, 
and take the most beautiful and precious rope 
that you have, and go with them and lay it 
upon the knees of Athene, and pray to her 
to keep this terrible Diomed from the walls 
of Troy. And do not forget to promise a 
sacrifice of twelve heifers. And I will go 
and call Paris, and bid him come with me to 
the battle. Of a truth I could wish that the 
earth would open her mouth and swallow him 
up, for he is a curse to his father and to you 
his mother, and to the whole city of Troy.” 

Then Queen Hecuba went into her palace, 
and opened the store where she kept her 
treasures, and took out of it the finest robe 
that she had. And she and the noblest ladies 
that were in Troy carried it to the temple of 
Athene. Then the priestess, who was the 
wife of Antenor, received it from her hands, 
and laid it upon the knees of the goddess, 
making this prayer: “O Lady Athene, keeper 
of this city, break, we beseech thee, the spear 
of Diomed, and make him fall dead before 
the gates of Troy. If thou wilt have pity on 

90 



HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE 


the wives and children of the men of Troy, 
then we will offer to thee twelve heifers that 
have never been made to draw the plough.” 

So the priestess prayed; but Athene would 
not hear. And, indeed, it was she who had 
stirred up Diomed to fight so fiercely against 
Troy and had given him fresh strength and 
courage. 

Meanwhile Hector went to the house of 
Paris. It stood on the citadel, close to his 
own house and to the palace of King Priam. 
He found him cleaning his arms and armour, 
and the Fair Helen sat near him, with her 
maids, busy with needlework. 

Then Hector thought to himself, “If I tell 
him that he went away from the battle be¬ 
cause he was afraid, I shall offend him and 
do no good: I will try another way/’ So 
he said: “O Paris, is it right that you should 
stand aside and not fight in the battle because 
you are angry with your countrymen ? The 
people perish, and the fight grows hotter and 
hotter every minute about the city. Rouse 
yourself and come forth before Troy is burnt 
up. For, remember, it is you that are the 
cause of all these troubles.” 

9 1 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


Then Paris answered: “O my brother, you 
have spoken well. But it was not because I 
was angry that I came away from the battle; 
it was because I was so much ashamed of 
being beaten. But now I will come back, 
for this is what my wife would have me to 
do; maybe I shall do better another time, for 
the gods give victory now to one man and 
now to another.” 

Then the Fair Helen said to Hector: “Sit 
down now and rest a little, for you must be 
very much tired with all that you have done.” 

But Hector answered: “You must not ask 
me to rest; I must make haste to help my 
countrymen, for indeed they are in sore need 
of help. But do you see that your husband 
overtakes me before I go out of the city gate. 
Now I am going to my house to see my wife 
and my little boy, for I do not know whether 
I shall ever see them again.” 

When he had said this, Hector went to his 
house to see his wife Andromache, for that 
was her name. But he did not find her at 
home, for she had gone to the wall, being 
very much afraid for her husband. 

Hector asked the maids: “Where is the 

92 



Hector Chiding Paris. 


































HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE 


Lady Andromache ? Has she gone to see one 
of her sisters-in-law, or, maybe, with the other 
mothers of Troy, to the temple of Athene?” 

Then an old woman who was the house¬ 
keeper said: “Nay; she went to one of the 
towers of the wall that she might see the 
battle, for she had heard that the Greeks 
were pressing our people very much. She 
seemed like a madwoman, so much haste did 
she make, and the nurse went with her 
carrying the child.” 

Then Hector ran towards the gate, and 
Andromache saw him from where she stood 
on the wall, and made haste to meet him. 
And the nurse came after her, carrying the 
child, Hector's only son, a beautiful boy, with 
a head like a star, so bright was his golden 
hair. His father called him Scamandrius, 
after the river which runs across the plains 
of Troy; but the people called him AstySnax, 
which means the “City King,” because it 
was his father who saved the city. And 
Hector smiled when he saw the child. But 
Andromache did not smile, for she caught 
her husband by the hand, and wept, saying, 
“O Hector, your courage will be your death. 

93 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


You have no pity on your wife and child, and 
you do not spare yourself. Some day all the 
Greeks will join together and rush on you 
and kill you” — for she did not believe that 
any one of them could conquer him. “ But 
if I lose you, then it would be better for me 
to die than to live. I have no comfort but 
you. My father is dead; for the great 
Achilles killed him when he took our city. 
He killed him, but he did him great honour, 
for he would not take his arms for a spoil, 
but burnt them with him; yes, and the 
nymphs of the mountains planted poplars by 
his grave. I had seven brothers, and they 
also are dead, for the great Achilles killed 
them all in one day. And my mother also 
is dead, for when her father had redeemed 
her with a great sum of money, Artemis slew 
her with one of her deadly arrows . 1 But you 
are father to me and mother, and brother, 
and husband also. Have pity on me, and 
stay here upon the wall, lest you leave me 
a widow and your child an orphan. And 

1 When a woman died suddenly, it was said that one of the 
arrows of the goddess Artemis had struck her. A man, in the 
same way, was said to be struck by an arrow of Apollo. 

94 



HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE 


set your people in order of battle by this fig- 
tree, for here the wall is easier to attack. 
Here, too, I see the bravest chiefs of the 
Greeks. ” 

Hector answered her: “Dear wife, leave 
these things to me; I will look after them. 
One thing I cannot bear, that any son or 
daughter of Troy should see me skulking 
from the battle. I hate the very thought of 
it; I must always be in the front. Alas! I 
know that Priam and the people of Priam 
and this holy city of Troy will perish. But 
it is not for Troy, or for the people of Troy, 
nor even for my father and my mother, that 
I care so much; it is for you, when I think 
how some Greek will carry you away captive, 
and you will be set to spin or to carry water 
from the spring in a distant land. And some 
one will say: ‘See that slave woman there! 
She was the wife of Hector, who was the 
bravest of the Trojans. 

Then Hector stretched out his arms to take 
the child. But the child drew back into the 
bosom of his nurse, making a great cry, for he 
was frightened by the helmet which shone so 
brightly, and by the horsehair plume which 

95 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


nodded so awfully. And both his father and 
his mother laughed to hear him. Then Hector 
took the helmet from his head and laid it 
on the ground, and caught the boy in his 
hands, and kissed him and dandled him. And 
he prayed aloud to Father Zeus and to the 
other gods, saying: 

“Grant, Father Zeus, and other gods who 
are in heaven, that this child may be as I am, 
a great man in Troy. And may the people 
say some day when they see him carrying 
home the bloody spoils of some enemy whom 
he has killed in battle: ‘A better man than 
his father, this!’ And his mother will be 
glad to hear it.” 

Then he gave the boy to his mother, and 
she clasped him to her breast and smiled, but 
there were tears in her eyes when she smiled. 
And Hector’s heart was moved when he saw 
the tears; and he stroked her with his hand 
and said: 

“Do not let these things trouble you. No 
man will be able to kill me, unless it be my 
fate to die. But fate no one may escape, 
whether he be a brave man or a coward. 
But go, dear wife, to your spinning again, 

96 


The Meeting of Hector and Andromache. 






































HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE 


and give your maids their tasks, and let the 
men see to the battle.” 

Then he took up the helmet from the 
ground, and put it on his head, and Andro¬ 
mache went to her home, but often, as she 
went, she turned her eyes to look at her 
husband. And when she came to her 
home she called all the maids together, 
and they wept and wailed for Hector as 
though he were already dead. And, indeed, 
she thought in her heart that she should 
never again see him coming home safe from 
the battle. 

Hector went on his way to the gate, and 
as he went Paris came running after him. 
His arms shone brightly in the sun, and he 
himself went proudly along like a horse that 
is fresh from his stable, and prances over the 
grass and tosses his mane. And he said to 
Hector: “1 am afraid that I have kept you 
when you were in a hurry to get back to your 
comrades.” 

Hector answered: “No man doubts that 
you are brave. But you are wilful, and hold 
back from the battle when you should be fore¬ 
most. So it is that the people say shameful 

97 


G 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


things about you. But now let us make haste 
to the battle.” 

So they went out by the gate, and fell upon 
the Greeks and killed many of them, and 
Glaucus the Lycian went with them. 


98 


CHAPTER X 


HOW HECTOR AND AJAX FOUGHT 







CHAPTER X 


HOW HECTOR AND AJAX FOUGHT 

Athene was very sorry to see how her dear 
Greeks were being killed by Hector and his 
companions. So she flew down from the 
height of Olympus to see whether she could 
help them. When she had come to the plains 
of Troy she met Apollo. Now Apollo loved 
the Trojans, and he said to her: ‘'Are you 
come, Athene, to help the Greeks whom you 
love ? Now I, as you know, love the Trojans. 
Let us therefore join together and stop them 
from fighting for to-day. Hereafter they shall 
fight till that which the Fates have settled for 
Troy shall come to pass.” 

Athene answered: “How shall we stop 
them from fighting?” Apollo said: “We 
will set on Hector to challenge the bravest 
of the Greeks to fight with him, man to 
man.” 

So these two put the thought into the 

IOI 


> 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


mind of the prophet Helenus. So Helenus 
went up to Hector and said: “Hector, listen 
to me; I am your brother, and also the gods 
have made me a prophet, so that you should 
take heed to the things which I say. Now 
my advice is this: cause the men of Troy and 
the Greeks to sit down in peace, and do you 
challenge the bravest of the enemy to fight 
with you, man to man. And be sure that 
in this fight you will not be killed, for so 
much the gods have told me; but whether 
you will kill the other, that I do not know, 
for the gods have not told me.” 

This pleased Hector greatly, and he went 
to the front of the army, holding his spear 
by the middle, and keeping the Trojans back. 
And King Agamemnon did the same with 
his own people. Then Hector said: 

“Hear me, sons of Troy, and ye men of 
Greece. The covenant which we made to¬ 
gether was broken. Truly this was not my 
doing; the gods would have it so, for it 
is their will that we should fight together, 
till either you take our city or we drive you 
to your ships, and compel you to go back to 
your own land. And yet listen to what I 


102 


HECTOR AND AJAX 

shall now say, for it may be that the gods 
will repent and suffer peace to be made be¬ 
tween us. Do you Greeks choose out from 
those who are strongest and bravest among 
you some one to fight with me, man to man. 
And let this be agreed between us: if this 
man shall conquer me, then he shall take my 
arms for himself, but he shall give back my 
body to my people that they may burn it 
with fire. And, in like manner, if I shall 
conquer him, then I will take his arms for 
myself, but I will give his body to his people 
that they may bury it and raise a great 
mound over it. And so in days to come 
men who shall see it, as they sail by, will 
say: ‘This is the tomb of the bravest of the 
Greeks, whom Hector of Troy killed in 
battle, fighting with him man to man.’ 
So my name will be remembered for ever.” 

When the Greeks heard these words, they 
all stood still, saying nothing. They feared 
to meet the great Hector in battle, for he 
seemed to be stronger than he had ever been 
before, but they were ashamed to hold back. 
Then Menelaiis jumped up in his place and 
cried: “Surely now ye are women and not 

103 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


men. What a shame it is to Greece that no 
one can be found to fight with this Hector! 
I will fight with him my own self, for the 
gods give the victory to one man or to another 
as they will.” 

So spoke Menelaiis, for he was very angry, 
and did not care whether he lived or died. 
And, indeed, it would have been his death 
to fight with Hector, who was by much the 
stronger of the two. But King Agamemnon 
would not suffer him to be so rash. “Nay, 
my brother,” he said, “this is but folly. Seek 
not to fight with one who is much stronger 
than you. Even Achilles was not willing to 
meet him. Sit still, therefore, for the 
Greeks will find some champion to meet 
him.” 

And Menelaiis hearkened to his brother’s 
words and sat down. But when no one stood 
up to offer himself to fight with Hector, old 
Nestor rose in his place and said: “Now 
this is a sad day for Greece! How sorry old 
Peleus would be to hear of this thing. I 
remember how glad he was when I told him 
about the chiefs who were going to fight 
against Troy, who they were and whence 

104 


HECTOR AND AJAX 

they came. And now he would hear that 
they all are afraid when Hector challenges 
them to fight with him man to man. He 
would pray that he might die. Oh, that I 
were such as I was in the old days, when 
the men of Pylos fought with the men of 
Arcadia. The men of Arcadia had a great 
champion, who was the strongest and biggest 
of all the men of that day, and carried the 
most famous arms in Greece, and a club of 
iron such as no one else could wield. And 
when this man challenged the men of Pylos 
to fight with him, the others, indeed, were 
afraid, for the man was like a giant; but I 
stood up, though I was the youngest of them 
all, and Athene stood by me and gave me 
great glory, for I slew him, and took from 
him his arms and his great iron club. Oh! 
that I were now such as I was that day! 
Hector would soon find some one to fight with 
him/ 5 

When old Nestor sat down, nine chiefs 
stood up. First among them was King Aga¬ 
memnon, and after him Diomed and Ajax 
the Greater and Ajax the Less and Ulysses, 
and four others. Then said Nestor: ‘‘Let 

105 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


us cast lots to see who of these nine shall 
fight with Hector.” 

So the nine chiefs threw their lots, each 
man a lot, into the helmet of King Aga¬ 

memnon. And the people standing round 
prayed silently to the gods: “Grant that the 
lot of Ajax the Greater may leap first out 
of the helmet, or the lot of Diomed, or the 
lot of King Agamemnon.” Then Nestor 
shook the helmet, and it came to pass that 
the lot which first leapt forth was that very 
one which they most desired. For when the 
herald carried it round to the chiefs no one 
took it for his own, till the man came to 

Ajax the Greater. But Ajax had marked it 
with his own mark; he put out his hand, 

therefore, and claimed it. He was very glad 

in his heart, and he threw down the lot at his 
feet and cried: “The lot is mine, my friends, 
and I am glad above measure, for I think that 
I shall conquer this mighty Hector. And 
now I will put on my arms. And do you 
pray to Father Zeus, silently, if you will, that 
the Trojans may not hear; or if you had 
rather pray aloud, then do so, for I fear no 
man. None shall conquer me either by force 

106 


HECTOR AND AJAX 

or by craft, for the men of Salamis”— it was 
from the island of Salamis he came — “are not 
to be so conquered.” 

So Ajax put on his armour. And when 
he had finished, he went forward, as dreadful 
to look at as the god of war himself, and 
there was a smile on his face, but it was 
not the smile that other men like to see. 
Taking great strides he went, and he shook 
his great spear. And when the Trojans saw 
him their knees trembled beneath them, and 
even the great Hector felt that his heart beat 
more quickly than before. But he showed 
no fear, and stood firmly in his place, for he 
had himself challenged his adversary. 

So Ajax came near, holding his great shield 
before him, as it might be a wall. There 
was no such shield in all the army of the 
Greeks. It had seven* folds of bull’s-hide, and 
one fold, the eighth, of bronze. Then Ajax 
spoke in a loud voice: “Come near, Hector, 
that you may see what men we have among 
us, we Greeks, though the great Achilles is 
not here, but sits idle in his tent.” 

Hector answered: “Do not speak to me, 
great Ajax, as though I were a woman or a 

107 



ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


child, and knew nothing of war. I know all 
the arts of battle, to turn my shield this way 
and that to meet the spear of the enemy, and 
to drive my chariot through the crowds of 
men and horses, and to fight hand to hand. 
But come, let us fight openly, face to face, as 
honest men should do.” 

And as he spoke he threw his great spear 
at Ajax. Through six folds of bull’s-hide it 
passed, but the seventh stopped it, for all that 
it was so strongly thrown. It was no easy 
thing to pierce the great shield with its seven 
folds. But when Ajax, in his turn, threw 
his spear at Hector, it passed through his 
shield, and through the armour that covered 
his body, and through the garment that was 
under the armour. It went near to killing 
him, but Hector bent his body away, and so 
saved himself. Then each took a fresh spear, 
and they ran together as fiercely as lions or 
wild boars. Again did Hector drive his spear 
against the great shield, and again did he 
drive it in vain, for the spear point was bent 
back. But Ajax, making a great leap from 
the ground, pierced Hector’s shield with his 
spear, and pushed him back from the place 

108 



Hector and Ajax Separated by the Heralds. 













t 






HECTOR AND AJAX 

where he stood, and the spear point grazed 
his neck, so that the blood spirted out. Then 
Hector caught up a great stone that lay upon 
the ground and threw it. And yet once more 
the great shield stayed him, nor could he 
break it through, and the great stone dropped 
upon the ground. But the stone which Ajax 
threw was heavier by far, and it broke Hector’s 
shield and bore him to the ground, so that 
he lay on his back upon the ground, with the 
broken shield over him. Truly it had fared 
ill with him but that Apollo raised him up and 
set him on his feet. Then the two warriors 
drew their swords, but before they could get 
close together, the two heralds came up and 
thrust their staves between them. And the 
Trojan herald said: “It is enough, my sons; 
fight no more; you are great warriors both 
of you, and Zeus loves you both. But now 
the night is at hand, and bids you cease, and 
you will do well to obey.” 

Then said Ajax: “Yes, herald; but it is 
for Hector to speak, for he began this matter, 
challenging the bravest of the Greeks to fight 
with him. And what he wills, that I will 
also.” 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


Hector said: “The herald speaks well. 
Verily the gods have given you, O Ajax, 
stature and strength and skill. There is no 
better warrior among the Greeks. Let us 
cease then from fighting; haply we may 
meet again another day, and the gods may 
give the victory to you or to me. But now 
let us give gifts to each other, so that the 
Trojans and Greeks may say, ‘Hector and 
Ajax met in battle, but parted in friend¬ 
ship.’” 

So Hector gave to Ajax a silver-studded 
sword, with a scabbard and a belt, and Ajax 
gave to Hector a buckler splendid with 
purple. So they parted. And the Trojans 
were right glad to see Hector coming back 
safe from the battle; on the other hand, the 
Greeks rejoiced yet more, for indeed their 
champion had prevailed. And King Aga¬ 
memnon called all the chiefs to a feast, and 
to Ajax he gave the chine. The Trojans 
also feasted in their city. But Zeus sent 
thunder all that night to be a sign of trouble 
to come. 


no 


CHAPTER XI 


THE BATTLE ON THE PLAIN 











CHAPTER XI 


THE BATTLE ON THE PLAIN 

When it was morning Zeus called all the 
gods and goddesses to an assembly on the 
top of Mount Olympus, and said to them: 
“Now listen to me, and obey. No one of 
you shall help either the Greeks or the Tro¬ 
jans; and mark this: if any god or goddess 
dares to do so I will throw him down from 
here into the outer darkness, and there he shall 
learn that I am lord in heaven. Does any 
one of you think that I am not stronger than 
you, yes than all of you put together ? Well, 
let it be put to the trial. Let down a golden 
chain from heaven to earth, and take hold of 
it all of you, and see whether you can drag 
me from my throne. You cannot do it, not 
though you pull with all your might. But 
if I should choose to put out all my strength, 
I could lift you up, and the earth and the 
sea with you, and fasten the chain round one 

h 113 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


of the peaks of this mountain Olympus here, 
and leave you hanging in the air. 5 ’ 

So did Zeus speak, and all the gods sat 
saying nothing, for they were terribly afraid. 
But at last Athene said: “Father, we know 
right well that none of us can stand up 
against you. And yet we cannot help pity¬ 
ing the Greeks, for we fear that they will be 
altogether destroyed. We will not help them, 
for this you forbid. But, if you will permit, 
we will give them advice.” 

And Zeus smiled, for Athene was his 
daughter, and he loved her better than any 
other among the gods and goddesses, and he 
gave his consent. Then he had his horses 
yoked to his chariot and touched them with 
his whip, and they flew midway between 
heaven and earth till they came to a certain 
mountain which was called Ida, and was near 
to Troy. There he sat down and watched 
the battle, for the time was come when he 
would keep the promise which he had made 
to Thetis. 

The Greeks ate their food in haste and 
freshened themselves for battle; and the 
Trojans also armed themselves inside the 

114 


THE BATTLE ON THE PLAIN 


city, and when they were ready the gates 
were opened and they went out. So the 
two armies came together, and shield was 
dashed against shield, and spear against spear, 
and there was a great clash of arms and shout¬ 
ing of men. So long as the sun was rising 
higher in the sky, neither of the two pre¬ 
vailed over the other; but at noon Zeus 
held out in the sky his golden scales, and 
in one scale he laid a weight for the 
Trojans and in the other a weight for the 
Greeks. Now the weights were weights of 
death, and the army whose weight was the 
heavier would suffer most. And lo! the scale 
of the Greeks sank lower. Then Zeus sent a 
thunderbolt from the top of Mount Ida into 
the army of the Greeks, and there was great 
fear among both men and horses. 

After this no man could hold his ground. 
Only old Nestor remained where he was, and 
he remained against his will, for Paris had 
killed one of his horses with an arrow, and 
the chariot could not be moved. So the old 
man began to cut away the traces, that he 
might free the horse that was yet alive from 
the horse that was dead. While he was doing 

115 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


this Hector came through the crowd of fight¬ 
ing men. Then had the old man perished, 
but Diomed saw it and went to help him. 
But first he called to Ulysses, whom he 
saw close by, running - towards the ships. 
“Ulysses/’ he cried, as loudly as he could, 
“where are you going? Are you not ashamed 
to turn your back in this way like a coward ? 
Take care that no man thrust you in the back 
with a spear and disgrace you for ever. Stop 
now, and help me to save old Nestor from this 
fierce Hector.” 

So he spoke, but Ulysses gave no heed to 
his words, but still fled to the ships, for he 
was really afraid. When Diomed saw this 
he made haste, though he was alone, to go to 
the help of Nestor. When he got to the 
place where the old man was, he stopped his 
chariot and said: “Old friend, the young 
warriors are too much for you. Leave your 
own chariot for others to look after and climb 
into mine, and see what these horses of King 
Tros can do, for these are they which I took 
away from iEneas. There are none faster, 
or better, or easier to turn this way or that. 
Take these reins in your hand, and I will go 

116 


THE BATTLE ON THE PLAIN 


against this Hector, and see whether the spear 
of Diomed is as strong as it was of old.” 

So old Nestor climbed up into the chariot, 
and took the reins in his hand and touched the 
horses with the whip, driving straight at Hector. 
And when they were near him, Diomed threw 
his spear at him. Him he missed, but he struck 
down his charioteer, and the man fell dead to 
the ground. Hector was greatly grieved, but 
he let him lie where he fell, for he must needs 
find another man to drive the horses. And 
when he went back from the front to look 
for the man, then the Trojans went back also, 
for it was Hector to whom they looked and 
whom they followed. But when Diomed 
would have pursued them, Zeus threw another 
thunderbolt from Ida. It fell right in front 
of the chariot, and the horses crouched on the 
ground for fear, and Nestor let the reins drop 
from his hand, for he was greatly afraid, and 
cried: “O Diomed, let us fly; see you not 
that Zeus is against us ? He gives glory to 
Hector to-day; to-morrow, maybe, he will 
give it to you. But what he wills that will 
he do, and no man may hinder him/’ 

Diomed answered: “Old sir, you speak 

117 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


wisely. Yet it goes to my heart to turn 
back. For Hector will say, ‘Diomed fled 
before me, seeking to hide himself in the 
ships/ I had sooner that the earth should 
open her mouth and swallow me up, than 
that I should hear such things.” 

But Nestor answered: “O Diomed, be 
content: though Hector may call you coward, 
the sons of Troy will not believe him, no, 
nor the daughters of Troy, whose brothers 
and husbands you have tumbled in the dust.” 

So then he turned the horses to fly. And 
Hector cried when he saw the great Diomed 
fly before him: “Are you the man to whom 
the Greeks give the chief place in their feasts 
and great cups of wine ? They will not so 
honour you after to-day. Run, girl! run, 
coward! Are you the man that was to climb 
our walls and carry away our people captive?” 

Diomed was very angry to hear these words, 
and doubted whether he should flee or turn 
again to the battle. But as he doubted, Zeus 
made a great thundering in the sky, and he 
was afraid. Then Hector called to his horses; 
by their names he called them, saying, “Come, 
Whitefoot and Bayard and Brilliant and Flame 

118 


THE BATTLE ON THE PLAIN 

of Fire; remember how the fair Andromache 
has cared for you, putting you even before 
me, who am her husband. Carry me now 
as fast as you can, that I may take from old 
Nestor his shield, which men say is made all 
of gold, and from Diomed his breastplate, 
which was wrought for him in the forge of 
heaven. ” 

So the Greeks fled as fast as they could 
within the wall which they had built for a 
defence for their ships, for Hector drove them 
before him, nor was there one who dared 
to stand up against him. And the space 
between the wall and the ships was crowded 
with chariots, and no spirit was left in any 
man. Then Hera put into the heart of King 
Agamemnon that he should encourage his 
people to turn again to battle. So the King 
stood by the ship of Ulysses, which was in the 
middle of the ships, for they were drawn up in 
a long line upon the shore, and cried aloud: 
“Shame on you, Greeks! Where are your 
boats which you boasted before you came to 
this land, how that one of you would be more 
than a match for a hundred, yea, for two 
hundred Trojans? It was easy to say such 

119 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


words when you ate the flesh of bullocks 
and drank full cups of wine. But now, 
when you are put to the trial, a single 
Trojan is worth more than you all. Was 
there ever a king who had such cowards for 
his people ?” 

Then the Greeks took courage and turned 
again, and set upon the Trojans. And the 
first of all to turn and to slay a Trojan was 
Diomed. He drove his spear through the 
man’s back, for now the Trojans were flying 
in their turn, and tumbled him from his 
chariot. And after Diomed came King Aga¬ 
memnon, and Ajax, and other chiefs. Among 
them was Teucer, the brother of Ajax, a 
skilful archer. He stood under the shield of 
his brother, and Ajax would lift the shield 
a little, and then Teucer would peer out and 
take aim and send an arrow at some Trojan, 
and kill him or wound him. Then he would 
go back, as a child runs to his mother, and 
Ajax covered him with his shield. Eight 
warriors did he hit in this way. And when 
King Agamemnon saw him, he said: “Shoot 
on, Teucer, and be a joy to your people and 
to your father. Surely when we have taken 


120 


THE BATTLE ON THE PLAIN 


the city of Troy, and shall divide the spoil, you 
shall have the best gift of all after mine.” 

And Teucer said: “I need no gifts, O King, 
to make me eager. I have not ceased to shoot 
my arrows at these Trojans; eight arrows 
have I shot, and every one has found its way 
through some warrior’s armour into his flesh. 
But this Hector I cannot hit.” 

And as he spoke he let fly another arrow 
at Hector from the sling. Him he did not 
touch, but he slew a son of Priam. And 
then he shot yet a tenth, and this time he 
laid low the charioteer who stood by Hector’s 
side. Then Hector’s heart was filled with 
rage and grief. He leant down from his 
chariot, and caught up a great stone in his 
hand, and ran at Teucer, that he might crush 
him to the earth. And Teucer, when he saw 
him coming, made haste, and took an arrow 
from his quiver and fitted it to the sling. 
But even as he drew back the string to his 
shoulder, the great stone struck him where 
the collar-bone stands out between the neck 
and the arm. It broke the bow-string, and 
made his arm and wrist all weak and numb, 
so that he could not hold the bow. And he 


121 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


fell upon his knees, dropping the bow upon 
the ground. But Ajax stood over him, and 
covered him with his shield, and two of his 
comrades took him up in their arms and 
carried him, groaning deeply, to the ships. 

When the Trojans saw the great archer 
carried away from the battle, they took fresh 
courage, and drove back the Greeks to the 
ditch, for there was a ditch in front of the 
wall. And Hector was always in the very 
front. As a dog follows a wild beast and 
catches him by the hip or the thigh as he flies, 
so did Hector follow the Greeks and slay the 
hindmost of them. 

Then Hera, as she sat on the top of 
Olympus, said to Athene: “Shall we not 
have pity on the Greeks and help them ? 
Let us do it this once if we never do it 
again. I fear much that they will perish 
altogether by the hand of Hector. See what 
harm he has done to them already.” 

Athene answered: “This is also my Father’s 
doing. He listened to Thetis when she asked 
him to do honour to her son Achilles. But, 
perhaps, he may now listen to me, and will 
let me help the Greeks. Make your chariot 


122 



Hera and Athene going to assist the Greeks. 















- 






. 









































THE BATTLE ON THE PLAIN 


ready, therefore, and I will put on my armour. 
So we will go together to the battle; maybe 
that.Hector will not be glad when he sees us 
coming against him.” 

So Hera made her chariot ready, and Athene 
put on her armour, and took her great spear, 
and prepared as for battle. Then the two 
mounted the chariot, and the Hours opened 
the gates of heaven for them, and they went 
towards Troy. 

But Zeus saw them from where he sat on 
the top of Mount Ida. And he called to Iris, 
who is the messenger of the gods, and said to 
her: “Go now, Iris, and tell these two that 
they had better not set themselves against me. 
If they do, then I will lame their horses, and 
throw them down from their chariot, and 
break the chariot in pieces. If I do but 
strike them with my thunderbolt, they will 
not recover from their hurts for ten years 
and more.” 

So Iris made all the haste she could, and 
met the two goddesses on their way, and 
gave them the message of Zeus. When 
Hera heard it, she said to Athene: “It is 
not wise for us two to fight with Zeus for the 

123 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


sake of men. Let them live or die, as he 
may think best, but we will not set ourselves 
against him.” 

So Hera turned the chariot, and they went 
back to Olympus, and sat down in their chairs 
of gold among the other gods. Very sad and 
angry were they. 

When Zeus saw that they had gone back, 
he left Mount Ida and went to Olympus, 
and came into the hall where the gods were 
assembled. When he saw Hera and Athene 
sitting by themselves with gloomy faces, he 
mocked them, saying: “Why do you look 
so sad ? Surely it cannot be that you have 
tired yourselves by joining in the battle, and 
slaying these Trojans whom you hate so 
much ? But if it is because the thing that 
I will does not please you, then know that 
what I choose to happen, that shall happen. 
Yes; if all the other gods should join together 
against me, still I shall prevail over them.” 

And when Zeus had so spoken, then Athene, 
for all that her heart was bursting with anger, 
said nothing; but Hera would not keep 
silence. “Well do we know, O Zeus, that 
you are stronger than all the gods. Never- 

124 


THE BATTLE ON THE PLAIN 


theless we cannot but pity the Greeks when 
we see them perishing in this way.” 

Zeus spake again: “Is it so? Do you 
pity the Greeks for what they have suffered 
to-day ? To-morrow you shall see worse 
things than these, O Queen. For Hector 
will not cease from driving the Greeks before 
him and slaying them till the great Achilles 
himself shall be moved, and shall rise from 
his place where he sits by his ships.” 

And now the sun sank into the sea, and 
the night fell. The Trojans were angry that 
the darkness had come and that they could 
not see any longer; but the Greeks were 
glad of the night, for it was as a shelter to 
them, and gave them time to breathe. 

Then Hector called the Trojans to an 
assembly at a place that was near the river, 
where the ground was clear of dead bodies. 
He stood up in the middle of the people, 
holding in his hand a spear, sixteen feet or 
more in length, with a shining head of bronze, 
and a band of gold by which the head was 
fastened to the shaft. What he said to the 
people was this: “Hearken, men of Troy, 
and ye, our allies who have come to help us. 

125 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

I thought that to-day we should destroy the 
army of the Greeks and burn their ships, 
and so go back to Troy and live in peace. 
But night has come, and hindered us from 
finishing our work. Let us sit down, there¬ 
fore, and rest, and take a meal. Loose your 
horses from your chariots and give them their 
food. Go, some of you, to the city, and fetch 
from thence cattle, and sheep, and wine, and 
bread that we may have plenty to eat and 
drink: also fetch fuel, that we may burn fires 
all the night, that we may sit by them, and 
also that we see whether the Greeks will try 
to escape in the night. Truly they shall not 
go in peace. Many will we kill, and the rest 
shall, at the least, carry away with him a 
wound for him to heal at home, that so no 
man may come again and trouble this city of 
Troy. The heralds also shall go to the city 
and make a proclamation that the old men and 
the boys shall guard the wall, and that every 
woman shall light a hearth fire, and that all 
shall keep watch, lest the enemy should enter 
the city, while the people are fighting at the 
ships. And now I will say no more; but 
to-morrow I shall have other words to speak 

126 


THE BATTLE ON THE PLAIN 


to you. But know this, that to-morrow we 
will arm ourselves, and drive these Greeks to 
their ships; and, if it may be, burn these 
ships with fire. Then shall we know whether 
the bold Diomed shall drive me back from the 
wall or whether he shall be himself slain with 
the spear. To-morrow shall surely bring ruin 
on the Greeks. I would that I were as sure 
of living for ever and ever, and of being 
honoured as the gods are honoured.” 

So Hector spoke, and all the Trojans shouted 
with joy to hear such words. Then they un¬ 
harnessed the horses, and fetched provender 
for them from the city, and also gathered a 
great store of fuel. They sat all night in 
hope of what the next day would bring. As 
on a calm night the stars shine bright, so shone 
the watch-fires of the Trojans. A thousand 
fires were burning, and by each fire sat fifty 
men. And the horses stood by the chariots 
champing oats and barley. So they all waited 
for the morning. 


127 



CHAPTER XII 


THE REPENTANCE OF AGAMEMNON 



CHAPTER XII 


THE REPENTANCE OF AGAMEMNON 

While the Trojans made merry, being full 
of hope that they would soon be rid of their 
enemies, the Greeks, on the other hand, 
were tull of trouble and fear. And not one 
of them was more sad at heart than King 
Agamemnon. After a while he called the 
heralds and told them to go round to the 
chiefs and bid them come to a council. “Bid 
them one by one,” he said, “and do not pro¬ 
claim the thing publicly, for I would not have 
the people know of it.” So the chiefs came, 
and sat down each man in his seat. Not a 
word did they say, but looked sadly on the 
ground. At last King Agamemnon stood up 
and spoke: “O my friends, lords and rulers 
of the Greeks, truly Zeus seems to hate me. 
Once he promised me that I should take this 
city of Troy and return home in safety, but 
this promise he has not kept. I must go back 

I3i 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


to the place from which I came without 
honour, having lost many of those who came 
with me. But now, before we all perish, let 
us flee in our ships to our own land, for Troy 
we may not take.” 

And when the King had finished his speech 
the chiefs still sat saying not a word, for they 
were out of heart. But after a while, seeing 
that no one else would speak, brave Diomed 
stood up in his place and said: “O King, 
do not be angry, if I say that this talk of 
yours about fleeing in our ships to our own 
land is nothing but madness. It was but two 
days since that you called me a coward; 
whether this be true the Greeks, both young 
and old, know well. I will not say ‘yes’ or 
‘no/ But this I tell you. Zeus has given 
you to be first among the Greeks, and to be 
a king among kings. But courage he has 
not given you, and courage is the best gift 
of all, and without it all others are of no 
account. Now, if you are bent on going 
back, go; your ships are ready to be launched, 
and the way is short; but all the other Greeks 
will stay till they have taken the city of Troy. 
Aye, and if they also choose to go with you, 

*32 


AGAMEMNON’S REPENTANCE 


still I will stay, I and Sthenelus here, my 
friend: yes; we two will stay, and we will fight 
till we make an end of the city, for the gods 
sent us hither, and we will not go back till 
we have done the thing for which we came.” 

Then old Nestor stood up in his place and 
said: “You are a brave man, O Diomed, and 
you speak words of wisdom. There is not a 
man here but knows that you have spoken 
the truth. And now, O King Agamemnon, 
do you seek counsel from the chiefs, and 
when they have spoken, follow that counsel 
which shall seem to you wisest and best. But 
first let them sit down to eat and to drink, 
for they have toiled all day in the battle, and 
it is your part to give them meat and drink. 
Also set sentinels to keep watch along the 
trench lest our enemies should fall upon us 
unawares, for they have many watch-fires 
and a mighty host. Verily this night will 
either save us or make an end of us alto¬ 
gether.” 

So the King bade his men prepare a feast, 
and the chiefs sat down to eat and drink; 
and when they had had enough, Nestor rose 
up in his place and spoke: “O King, Zeus 

133 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


has made you lord over many nations, and 
put many things into your hand. Therefore 
you have the greater need of good counsel, 
and are the more bound to listen to wise 
words, even though they may not please 
you. It was an evil day, O King, when 
you sent the heralds to take away the damsel 
Brisris from Achilles. The other chiefs did 
not consent to your deed. Yes, and I my¬ 
self advised you not to do this thing; but 
you would not hear. Rather you followed 
your own pride and pleasure, and shamed 
the bravest of your followers, taking away 
from him the prize which he had won with 
his own hands. Do you, therefore, undo this 
evil deed, and make peace with this man 
whom you have wronged, speaking to him 
pleasant words and giving him noble gifts.” 

King Agamemnon stood up and said: 
“You have spoken true words, old sir. Truly 
I acted as a fool that day; I do not deny it. 
For not only is this Achilles a great warrior 
but he is dear to Zeus, and he that is dear to 
Zeus is worth more than whole armies of 
other men. See now how we are put to 
flight when he stands aside from the battle! 

134 


AGAMEMNON’S REPENTANCE 


This surely is the doing of Zeus. And now, 
as I did him wrong, so I will make him 
amends, giving him many times more than 
that which I took from him. Hear now the 
gifts which I will give him: seven kettles, 

standing on three feet, new, which the fire 
has never touched, ten talents of gold , 1 and 
twenty bright caldrons, and twelve strong 
horses which have won many prizes for me 

by their swiftness. The man who had as 
much gold of his own as these twelve horses 
have won for me would not be a beggar. 

Also I will give him some women-slaves, 

skilled with their needle and in other work 
of the hands, who were my portion of the 
spoil, when we took the island of Lesbos. 
Yes, and I will send back to him the maiden 
Briseis, whom I took from him. And when, 
by favour of the gods, we shall have taken the 
city of Troy, and shall divide the spoil, then 
let him come and choose for himself twenty 
women the most beautiful that there are in 

1 The talent was not a large sum, as it afterwards came to be 
when Eastern weights were used. Two talents are the fourth 
prize in one of the games described later on in the story. Ten 
talents may, to make a guess, be as much as twenty sovereigns; 
but we must remember that gold was very scarce in those days. 

135 


ILIAD FOR ROYS AND GIRLS 

the city, after the Fair Helen, for none can 
be so beautiful as she. And I will give him 
yet more than this. When we get back to 
the land of Greece, then he shall be as a son 
to me, and I will honour him even as I honour 
my own son Orestes. Three daughters have 
I in my palace at home. Of these he shall 
have the one whom he shall choose for his 
wife, and shall take her to the house of his 
father Peleus. Nor shall he give any gifts, 
as a man is used to give when he seeks a 
maiden for his wife. He shall have my 

daughter without a price. And more than 
this, I will give with her a great dowry, 

such as king has never given before to his 
daughter. Seven fair cities will I give him, 
and with each city fields in which many herds 
of oxen and flocks of sheep are grazing, and 
vineyards out of which much wine is made. 
And the people of these cities shall honour 
him as their lord and master. All these 
things will I give him, if only he will cease 
from his anger. Let him listen to our 

prayers, for of all things that are in the 
world there is but one that does not listen 

to prayers, and this one thing is Death. 

136 


AGAMEMNON’S REPENTANCE 


And this, verily, is the cause why Death is 
hated of all men. Let him not therefore be 
as Death.” 

When Agamemnon had made an end of 
speaking, Nestor said to him: “The gifts 

which you are ready to give to the great 

Achilles are such as no man can find fault 
with. Let us, therefore, without delay, 
choose men who may go to his tent and 
offer them to him. Let Phoenix go first, 
for he is dear to the gods, and Achilles also 
honours him, for, indeed, Phoenix had the 
care of him when he was a child. And with 
him Ajax the Greater should go, and Ulysses 
also, and let two heralds go with them. And 
now let the heralds bring water and pour 
upon our hands, and let each keep silence, 

while we pray to Zeus that he may have 
mercy upon us, and incline the heart of this 
man to listen to our entreaties.” 

Then the heralds brought water, and poured 
it upon the hands of the chiefs, and they filled 
the bowls with wine. And each man took 
his bowl and poured out a little on the ground, 
praying meanwhile to the gods. And when 

they had done this, they drank, and came out 

137 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


from the King’s tent. And, before they went 
on their errand, old Nestor charged them what 
they should say. All of them he charged, but 
Ulysses most of all, because he was the best 
speaker of them all. 


CHAPTER XIII 


THE EMBASSY TO ACHILLES 























CHAPTER XIII 


THE EMBASSY TO ACHILLES 

So they went along the shore of the sea, and 
as they went they prayed to the god who 
shakes the earth, that is to say, the god of the 
sea, that he would shake the heart of Achilles. 
And when they came to the camp of the 
Myrmidons, for these were the people of 
Achilles, they saw the King with a harp in 
his hand, the harp he had taken from the 
city of Thebe (which was also the city of 
Andromache). He was playing on the harp, 
and as he played he sang a song about the 
valiant deeds which the heroes of old time 
had wrought. And Patroclus sat over against 
him in silence, waiting till he should have 
ended his singing. So the three chiefs came 
forward, Ulysses leading the way, and stood 
before Achilles. And he, when he saw 
them, jumped up from his seat, not a little 
astonished, holding his harp in his hand. 
And Patroclus also rose up from his seat, to 

141 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


do them honour. And Achilles said: “You 
are welcome, my friends: though I am 
angry with the King, you are not the less my 
friends. ” 

And when he had said this he bade them 
sit down upon chairs that were there, covered 
with coverlets of purple. And to Patroclus 
he said: “ Bring out the biggest bowl, and 

mix the wine and make it as strong and sweet 
as you can; and give to each of these my friends 
a cup that they may drink, for there are none 
whom I love more in the whole army of the 
Greeks/’ 

And this Patroclus did. And when he had 
mixed the wine, strong and sweet, and had 
given to each man his cup, then he made 
ready a feast. Nor were they unwilling, 
though they had but just feasted in the tent of 
King Agamemnon, for the men of those days 
were as mighty in eating and drinking as in 
fighting. And the way that he made ready 
the feast was this. First he put a great block 
of wood as close as might be to the fire. And 
on this he put the back, that is to say, the 
saddle of a sheep, and the same portion of a 
fatted goat, and also the same of a well-fed 

142 



The Embassy to Achilles. 
























THE EMBASSY TO ACHILLES 


pig. The charioteer of Achilles held the 
flesh in its place with a spit, and Achilles 
carved it. And when he had carved the 
portions, he put each on a skewer. Then 
Patroclus made the fire burn high, and when 
the flames had died down, then he smoothed 
the red-hot embers, and put racks upon the 
top of them, and on the racks, again, the spits 
with the flesh. But first he sprinkled them 
with salt. And when the flesh was cooked, 
he took it from the skewers, and put portions 
of it on the platters. Also he took bread and 
put it in baskets, to each man a basket. Then 
they all took their places for the meal, and 
Achilles gave the place of honour to Ulysses. 
But before they began, he signed to Patroclus 
that he should sacrifice to the gods, and this 
he did by casting into the fire something of 
the flesh and of the bread. After this they 
put forth their hands, and took the food that 
was ready for them. When they had had 
enough, Ajax nodded to Phoenix, meaning 
that he should speak and tell Achilles why 
they had come. But Ulysses perceived it, and 
began to speak, or ever Phoenix was ready to 
begin. First he filled a cup, and drank to the 

H3 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


health of Achilles, and then he said: “Hail, 
Achilles! Truly we have had no lack of 
feasting, first in the tent of King Agamemnon, 
and now in yours. But this is not a day to 
think of feasting, for destruction is close at 
hand, and we are greatly afraid. This very 
day the Trojans and their allies came very near 
to burning our ships; and we are greatly in 
doubt whether we shall save them, for it is 
plainly to be seen that Zeus is on their side. 
What, therefore, we are come to ask of you 
is that you will not stand aside any longer 
from the battle, but will come and help us 
as of old. And truly our need is great. For 
this Hector rages furiously, saying that Zeus 
is with him, and not caring for god or man. 
And even now he is praying that morning 
may appear, for he vows that he will burn 
the ships with fire and destroy us all while we 
are choked with the smoke of the burning. 
And I am greatly afraid that the gods will 
give him strength to make good his threats 
and to kill us all here, far away from the land 
in which we were born. Now, therefore, stir 
yourself if now, before it is too late, you have 
a mind to save the Greeks. Make no delay, 

144 


THE EMBASSY TO ACHILLES 


lest it be too late, and you repent only when 
that which is done shall be past all recalling. 
Did not the old man Peleus, your father, on 
the day when he sent you from Phthia, your 
country, to follow King Agamemnon, lay this 
charge upon you, saying: ‘My son, the gods 
will give you strength and will make you 
mighty in battle, if it be their will; but there 
is something which you must do for yourself: 
keep down the pride of your heart, for gentle¬ 
ness is better than pride; also keep from 
strife, so shall the Greeks, both young and old, 
love you and honour you’? This charge your 
father laid upon you, but you have not kept 
it. Nevertheless there is yet a place of re¬ 
pentance for you. For the King has sent us 
to offer you gifts great and many to make 
up for the wrong that he did to you. So 
great and so many are they that no one can 
say that these are not worthy.” And then 
Ulysses set forth in order all the things which 
Agamemnon had promised to give, kettles and 
caldrons and gold, and women slaves, and his 
daughter in marriage, and seven cities to be 
her dowry. And when he had finished the 
list of these things he said: “Be content: 
k 145 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


take these gifts, which, indeed, no man can 
say are not sufficient. And if you have no 
thought for Agamemnon, yet you should have 
thought for the people who perish because 
you stand aside from the battle. Take the 
gifts, therefore, for by so doing you will have 
wealth and love and honour from the Greeks, 
and great glory also, for you will slay Hector, 
who is now ready to meet you in battle, so 
proud is he, thinking that there is not a 
man of all the Greeks who can stand against 
him.” 

Achilles answered: "I will speak plainly, 
O Ulysses, and will set out clearly what I 
think is in my heart, and what I intend to 
do. It does not please me that you should 
sit there and coax me, one man saying one 
thing and another man saying another. Yes, 
I will speak both plainly and truly, for, as for 
the man who thinks one thing in his heart 
and says another thing with his tongue, he is 
hateful to me as death itself. Tell me now, 
what does it profit a man to be always fight¬ 
ing day after day ? It is but thankless work, 
for the man that stays at home has an equal 
share with the man who never leaves the 

146 


THE EMBASSY TO ACHILLES 

battle, and men honour the coward even as 
they honour the brave, and death comes alike 
to the man that works and to the man who 
sits idle at home. Look now at me! What 
profit have I had of all that I have endured, 
putting my life in peril day after day ? Even 
as a bird carries food to its nestlings till they 
are fledged, and never ceases to work for them, 
and herself is but ill fed, so it has been with 
me. Many nights have I been without sleep, 
and I have laboured many days. I took twelve 
cities to which I travelled in ships, and eleven 
to which I went by land, and from all I carried 
away much spoil. All this spoil I brought to 
King Agamemnon, and he, who all the time 
had stayed safe in his tent, gave a few things 
to me and to others, but kept the greater part 
for himself. And then what did he do ? He 
left to the other chiefs that which he had 
given to them, but what he had given to me, 
that he took from me. Yes; he took Brise’is. 
Let him keep her, if he will. But let him 
not ask me any more to fight against the 
Trojans. There are other chiefs whom he 
has not wronged and shamed in this way; 
let him go to them and take counsel with 

147 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

them, how he may keep away the devouring 
fire from the ships. Many things he has done 
already; he has built a wall, and dug a ditch 
about it; can he not keep Hector from the 
ships with them ? And yet in time past when 
I used to fight, this Hector dared not set his 
army in array far from the walls of Troy; 
nay, he scarce ventured to come outside the 
gates. Once indeed did he gather his courage 
together and stand up against me, to fight 
man with man, and then he barely escaped 
from my spear. But neither with him nor 
with any other of the sons of Troy will I 
fight again. To-morrow I will do sacrifice 
to Zeus and the other gods, and I will store 
my ships with food and water, and launch 
them on the sea. Yes, early in the morning 
to-morrow, if you care to look, you will 
see my ships upon the sea, and my men 
rowing with all their might. And, if the 
god of the sea gives me a good passage, on 
the third day I shall come to my own dear 
country, even to Phthia. There are the 
riches which I left behind me when I came 
to this land of Troy, and thither shall I carry 
such things, gold and silver and slaves, as 

148 


THE EMBASSY TO ACHILLES 


King Agamemnon has not taken from me. 
But with him I will never take counsel again, 
nor will I stand by his side in battle. As for 
his gifts, I scorn them; aye, and were they 
twenty times as great, I would scorn them 
still. Not with all the wealth of Thebes 
which is in the land of Egypt would he 
persuade me, and than Thebes there is no 
wealthier city in all the world. A hundred 
gates it has, and through each gate two 
hundred warriors ride forth to battle with 
chariots and horses. And as for his daughter 
whom he would give me to be my wife, I would 
not marry her, no, not though she were as 
beautiful as Aphrodite herself, and as skilled 
in all the works of the needle as Athene. 
Let him choose for his son-in-law some chief 
of the Greeks who is better than I am. As 
for me, if the gods suffer me to reach my 
home, my father Peleus shall choose me a 
wife. Many maidens, daughters of kings, are 
there in Phthia and in Hellas, and not one 
among them who would scorn me if I came 
a-wooing. Often in time past have I thought 
to do this thing, to marry a wife, and to 
settle down in peace, and to enjoy the riches 

149 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

of the old man my father, and such things as 
I have gathered for myself. For long since 
my mother, Thetis of the sea, said to me, 
‘ My son, there are two lots of life before 
you, and you may choose which you will. 
If you stay in this land and fight against 
Troy, then you must never go back to your 
own land, but will die in your youth. Only 
your name will live for ever; but if you will 
leave this land and go back to your home, 
then shall you live long, even to old age, 
but your name will be forgotten/ Once I 
thought that fame was a better thing than 
life; but now my mind is changed, for indeed 
my fame is taken from me, seeing that King 
Agamemnon puts me to shame before all the 
people. And now I go away to my own land, 
and I counsel you to go also, for Troy you 
will never take. The city is dear to Zeus, 
and he puts courage into the hearts of the 
people. And take this answer back to the 
man who sent you: ‘Find some other way 
of keeping Hector and the Trojans from the 
ships, for my help he shall not have/ But 
let Phoenix stay with me this night, that he 
may go with me in my ship when I depart 

I 5° 


THE EMBASSY TO ACHILLES 


to-morrow. Nevertheless if he choose rather 
to stay, let him stay, for I would not take him 
by force .” 

And when Achilles had ended his speech, 
all the chiefs sat silent, so vehement was he. 


15 * 















« 




t 














CHAPTER XIV 


THE STORY OF OLD PHCENIX 


» 


CHAPTER XIV 


THE STORY OF OLD PHCENIX 

After a while old Phoenix stood up and 
spoke, and as he spoke he shed many tears, 
for he was much afraid lest the ships of the 
Greeks should be burnt. “O Achilles,” he 
said, “if you are indeed determined to go 
away, how can I stay here without you ? 
Did not the old man Peleus, your father, 
make me your teacher, that I might show 
you both what you should say and what you 
should do, when he sent you from the land 
of Phthia to be with King Agamemnon ? 
In those days, for all that you are now so 
strong and skilful in war, you were but a 
lad, knowing nothing of how warriors fight in 
battle, or of how they take counsel together. 
No: I cannot stay here without you; I 
would not leave you, no, not if the gods 
would make me young again as when I 
came to the land of Phthia, to be with 

155 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

Peleus your father. For at the first I lived 
in Hellas, and left it because the old man, 

my father, was angry with me. So angry 
was he that he cursed me, and prayed to 
Zeus and the other gods that no child of 

mine should ever sit upon his knees. And 
I, too, was very angry when I heard him 
say these words. Truly the thought came 
into my heart that I would fall upon him 
and slay him with the sword. But the 

gods were merciful to me and helped me 
to put away this wicked thought out of 
my heart. So I gave up my anger, for 
I could not bear that men should say of 
me: ‘See, there is the man who killed 
his own father!’ But I was determined 
to go away from my father’s house and 
from the land of Hellas altogether. Then 

came my friends and my kinsmen, and 
made many prayers to me, beseeching me 
that I would not depart. But I would not 
listen to them. Then they would have 
kept me by force. Nine days and nine 
nights they watched in my father’s house, 
eating the flesh of sheep and oxen and 
swine, and drinking wine without stint from 

156 


THE STORY OF OLD PHCENIX 

my father’s stores. They took turns to 
watch, and they kept up two fires without 
ceasing, one in the cloister that was round 
the house, and one before the great door. 
But on the tenth night, when the watch¬ 
men were overcome with sleep and the fires 
were low, then I broke open the door of 
my chamber, for all that they had shut it 
fast with a knot that was hard to untie, 
and I leapt over the fence of the courtyard, 
and neither man nor maid saw me. So I 
escaped, and fled from Hellas, and came to 
Phthia to the old man Peleus your father. 
And your father was very kind to me, and 
was as a father to me. He gave me riches, 
and he gave me a kingdom which I might 
rule under him, and also he trusted you to 
me, O Achilles, when you were but a little 
child, that I might teach you and rear 
you. And this I did. And, indeed, you 
loved me much. With no one but me 
would you go into the hall or sit at the 
feast. I would hold you on my knees and 
carve the choicest bits for you from the dish, 
and put the wine-cup to your lips. Many 
a time have you spoilt my clothes sputter- 

157 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

ing out the wine from your lips, when I 
had put the cup to your lips. Yes, I 
suffered much, and toiled much for you, 
and you were as a child to me, for child 
of my own I never had. And now, I 
pray you, listen to me. Put away the 
anger out of your heart even as I put the 
anger out of mine. It is not fit that a 
man should harden his heart in this way. 
Even the gods are turned from their pur¬ 
pose, and surely the gods are more honour¬ 
able and more powerful than you. Yet 
men turn them by the offering of incense 
and by drink-offerings and by burnt-offer¬ 
ings and by prayers. And if a man sins 
against them yet can he turn them from 
their anger. For, indeed, Prayers are the 
daughters of Zeus. They are weak and 
slow of foot, whereas Sin is swift and 
strong, and goes before, running over all 
the earth, and doing harm to men. But 
nevertheless they come after and heal the 
harm that Sin has done. If, therefore, a 
man will reverence these daughters of Zeus, 
and will do honour to them when they 
come near to him, and will listen to their 

158 


THE STORY OF OLD PHOENIX 

voice, they will bless him and do good to 
him. But if a man hardens his heart 
against them and will not listen to their 
voice, then they curse him and bring him 
to ruin. Take heed, therefore, O Achilles, 
that thou do such honour to those daughters 
of Zeus as becomes a righteous man, for it 
will be well for you to do so. If, indeed, 
King Agamemnon had stood apart and given 
you no gifts, nor restored to you that which 
he took from you, then I would not have 
bidden you cease from your anger, no, not 
to save the Greeks from their great trouble. 
But now he gives you many gifts, and 
promises you yet more, and has sent an 
embassy to you, the wisest and noblest that 
there are in the whole army, and also dear 
friends of yours. Refuse not, therefore, to 
listen to their words. Listen now to this 
tale that I will tell you, that you may see 
how foolish a thing it is for a man, however 
great he may be, to shut his ears when prayers 
are made to him. 

“Once upon a time there was a great 
strife between the Hitolians and the men 
who dwelt near to Mount Curium. And the 

I 59 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

cause of the strife was this. There was a 
great wild boar which laid waste all the 
land of Calydon where the iEtolians dwelt. 
And Meleager, who was the King of the 
land, sent for hunters from all Greece, and 
they came from far and wide, bringing their 
dogs with them, for the beast was so great 
and fierce that it was not an easy thing to 
kill it, but there was need of many hunters. 
Now, among those that came was Atalanta, 
the fair maid of Arcadia. And when the 
beast was killed, then there was a great 

quarrel as to who should have the spoils, 
that is to say the head and the hide. For 
Meleager gave them to the fair Alatanta, 
and when the brethren of his mother took 
them from her, then he slew them. But 

when his mother, Althea by name, heard 
that her brethren were dead, then she cursed 
him, yea, even her own son. So it came 
to pass that there was war between the 
ALtolians and the men of Mount Curium, 
for Althea and her brethren were of that 

land. And also the curse began to work, 

so that the quarrel became more fierce. 
Now* when in time past Meleager had 

160 


THE STORY OF OLD PHCENIX 

fought among the iEtolians there was none 
that could stand up against him, so great a 
warrior was he. But now, being very angry 
with his mother, he stood aside from the 
war, and would not help, sitting in his 
chamber apart. The men of Mount Curium, 
therefore, prevailed in the battle, and the 
iEtolians were driven into the city of Caly- 
don, and there was a din of war about 
the gates of the city, and great fear lest the 
enemy should break them down. Then first 
the elders of the city sent an embassy to him, 
priests of the gods, the holiest that there 
were in the land, to pray that he would 
come forth from his chamber and defend 
them. Also they promised him a noble gift, 
a great estate in the plain of iEtolia, half 
ploughland and half vineyard, such as he 
might choose for himself. So the priests 
came, beseeching him, and offering him the 
gift, but he would not listen to them. After 
them came his mother and his sisters, and 
made their prayers to him, but them he re¬ 
fused even more fiercely. And the old man 
CEneus, his father, besought him, standing 
on the threshold of his chamber, and shak- 
L 161 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

ing the door; but he would not listen. Nor 
would he hear the voice of his friends and 
comrades, although they were very dear to 
him. But at the last, when the enemy had 
now begun to climb upon the towers, and 
to burn the fair city of Calydon with fire, 
aye and to batter on the doors of his palace, 
then his wife, the fair Cleopatra, arose and 
besought him with many prayers and tears. 
‘Think now,’ she said, ‘what woes will 
come upon your people if the enemy pre¬ 
vail against them, for the city will be burnt 
with fire, and the men will be slain, and the 
women will be carried into captivity.’ Then 
at last his spirit was stirred within him, and 
he arose, and put on his arms, and went 
down into the street, and drove the men of 
Mount Curium before him. So did he save 
the iEtolians, but the gifts which they pro¬ 
mised, these he never had. This, O Achilles, 
is the story of Meleager. Let not your 
thoughts be like to his. It would be a 
foolish thing to put off the saving of the 
ships till they are already on fire. Come, 
therefore, take the gifts which King Aga¬ 
memnon gives you; so shall all the Greeks 

162 


THE STORY OF OLD PHGENIX 


honour you even as they honour a god. 
But if you delay, then may you lose both 
honour and gifts, even though you save us from 
the Trojans.” 

Achilles answered: “ Phoenix, my father, 

I have no need of this honour and these 
gifts. Riches I have as much as I need, 
and Zeus gives me honour. And listen to 
this: trouble me no more with prayers and 
tears, while you seek to help King Aga¬ 

memnon. Take not his side, lest I, who 
love you now, come to hate you. It were 
better for you to vex him who has vexed 
me. Return now with me to the land of 
Phthia, and I will give you the half of my 
kingdom. And stay this night in my tent; 
to-morrow we will consult together whether 
we will depart or no.” 

Then Achilles nodded to Patroclus, and 
made signs that he should make a bed ready 
for the old man, so that the other two, 

seeing this, should depart without delay. 

So Patroclus made the bed ready. And 

when Ajax saw this he said to Ulysses: 

“Let us go, Ulysses. We shall do nothing 
to-day. Let us, therefore, depart at once, 

16 3 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


and carry back this message to them who 
sent us. As for Achilles, he cherishes his 
anger, and cares nought for his comrades or 
his people. What he desires, I know not. 
One man will take the price of blood from 
another, even though he has slain a brother 
or a son. He takes the gold, and puts away 
his anger, and the shedder of blood dwells 

in peace in his own land. But this man 
keeps his anger, and all for the sake of a 
girl. And lo! the King offers him seven 

girls, yea seven for one, and he will not take 
them. Surely he seems to lack reason.” 

Achilles answered: ‘‘You speak well, great 
Ajax. Nevertheless the anger is yet hot in 

my heart, because Agamemnon put me to 

shame before all the people, as if I were 
but a common man. But go, and take my 
message. I will not arise to do battle with 
the Trojans till Hector shall come to these 
tents and shall seek to set fire to my ships. 
But when he shall do this, then I will arise, 
and verily I will stop him, however eager 
he may be for the battle/’ 

So Ajax and Ulysses departed, and gave 
the message of Achilles to King Agamemnon. 

164 


CHAPTER XV 


THE ADVENTURE OF DIOMED AND 

ULYSSES 





CHAPTER XV 


THE ADVENTURE OF DIOMED AND ULYSSES 

While the other chiefs of the Greeks were 
sleeping that night, King Agamemnon was 
awake, for he had great trouble in his heart 
and many fears. When he looked towards 
Troy he saw the fires burning, and heard 
the sound of flutes and pipes, and the murmurs 
of many men, and he was astonished, for it 
seemed to him that the army of the Trojans 
was greater and stronger than it had ever been 
in time past. And when he looked towards 
the ships, he groaned and tore his hair, think¬ 
ing what evils might come to the people. 
Then he thought to himself: “I will go 
and look for old Nestor; maybe he and I 
will think of something which may help us.” 
So he rose from his bed, and put the sandals 
on his feet, and wrapped his coat about him, 
and put the skin of a lion round his shoulders, 
and took a spear in his hand. 

167 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


Now it so happened that Menelaiis could 
not sleep that same night, for he knew that 
it was on his account that the Greeks had 
come to Troy. So he also rose from his bed, 
and wrapped the skin of a leopard about his 
shoulders, and took a spear in his hand, and 
went to look for his brother. And when he 
found him, for, as has been said, he also had 
armed himself, he said: “What seek you? 
See you the Trojans there? Let us send a 
spy to find what they are doing, and how 
many there are of them, for I do not doubt 
that they are planning something against 
us. But is there any one who will dare to 
do such a thing, for, indeed, it is a great 
danger. ” 

Agamemnon answered: “It is true, my 
brother, that we are in great trouble, and 
need good advice if we are to save the people. 
Surely Zeus has greatly changed his mind 
concerning us. There was a time when he 
favoured us, but now it is of his doing that 
Hector drives us before him in this fashion. 
Never did I see a man so manifestly 
strengthened by Zeus, and yet he is but a 
man, having neither god for his father, nor 

168 


DIOMED AND ULYSSES 


goddess for his mother. But go now call 
the chiefs to counsel, and I will go to 
Nestor.” 

So the chiefs were called, and Nestor said: 
“ First let us see whether the watch are 
sleeping or waking.” So they went the 
round of the wall, and they found the watch¬ 
men not sleeping but waking. As a dog 
that hears the sound of a'wild beast in the 
wood, so they looked towards the plain, 
thinking to hear the feet of the Trojans. 
Old Nestor was glad to see them and said: 
“You do well, my children, lest we become 
a prey to our enemies.” 

After this they passed over the trench and 
sat down in an open place that was clear of 
dead bodies, for here it was that Hector had 
turned back from slaying the Greeks when 
darkness came over the earth. And Nestor 
rose up and said: “Is there now a man 
who will go among the Trojans and spy out 
what it is in their mind to do ? Such a one 
will win great honour to himself, and the 
King will give him many gifts.” 

Diomed stood up in his place and said: 
“I will go, but it is well that I should have 

169 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


some one with me. For to have a com¬ 
panion gives a man courage and comfort; 
also two wits are better than one.” 

Many were willing to go with Diomed. 
And Agamemnon, fearing for his brother 
Menelaiis, for he offered himself among 
others, said: “Choose, O Diomed, the man 
whom you would most desire to have with 
you; think not of any man’s birth or rank; 
choose only him whom you would best like 
for a companion.” 

Then Diomed said: “If I may have my 
choice, Ulysses shall go with me. He is 
brave, and he is prudent, and Athene loves 
him.” 

Ulysses answered: “Do not praise me too 
much, nor blame me too much. But let us 
go, for the night is far spent.” 

So the two armed themselves. Diomed 
took a two-edged sword and a shield, and a 
helmet without a crest, for such is not easy 
to be seen. Ulysses took a bow with a quiver 
full of arrows and a sword, and for a helmet 
a cap of hide, with the white teeth of a wild 
boar round it. Then they both prayed to 
Athene that she would help them. That 

170 


DIOMED AND ULYSSES 


being done, they set out and went through 
the night, like to two lions, and they trod 
on dead bodies and arms and blood. 

Meanwhile Hector was thinking about the 
same thing, how that it would be well to find 
out what the Greeks were doing, and what 
they were planning for the next day. So he 
called the chiefs of the Trojans and the allies 
to a council and said: “Who now will go 
and spy among the Greeks, and see whether 
they are keeping a good watch, and find out, 
if he can overhear them talking together, 
what they mean to do to-morrow. Such a 
man shall have a great reward, a chariot, 
that is to say, with two horses, the best that 
there is in the whole camp of the Greeks.” 

Then there stood up a certain Dolon. He 
was the son of a herald, the only son of his 
father, but he had five sisters. He was an 
ill-favoured man, but a swift runner. Dolon 
said: “I will go, O Hector, but I want a 
great reward, even the horses of Achilles, for 
these are the best in the whole camp of the 
Greeks. Do you lift up your sceptre and 
swear that you will give me these, and none 
other.” 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


It was a foolish thing, for who was Dolon 
that he should have the chariot and horses 
of the great Achilles ? And Hector knew 
this in his heart; nevertheless he lifted up 
his sceptre, and swore that he would give to 
Dolon these horses and none others. Then 
Dolon armed himself. He took his bow, and 
a cap of wolf’s skin for a helmet, and a sharp 
spear, and went his way, nor did he try to 
go quickly, for he did not think that any one 
from the camp of the Greeks would be abroad. 
So Ulysses heard his steps and said to Diomed: 
“Here comes a man; maybe he is a spy, 
maybe he is come to spoil the dead bodies. 
Let him pass by, that we may take him, for 
we must not suffer him to go back to the 
city.” 

So the two lay down among the dead 
bodies on the plain, and Dolon passed by 
them, not knowing that they were there. 
And after he had gone fifty yards or so, 
then they rose up and ran after him. He 
heard the noise of their running and stood 
still, thinking to himself: “Hector has sent 
men after me; perhaps he wishes me to 
go back.” And this, indeed, he would 

172 


DIOMED AND ULYSSES 


gladly have done, for he was beginning to 
be afraid. But when they were but a 
spear’s throw from him, he saw that they 
were Greeks, and fled. And the two ran 
after him, as two dogs follow a fawn or a 
hare; and though he was swift of foot he 
could not outrun them, nor could they 
come up to him, but they kept him from 
turning back to the city. But when they 
were near the trench, then Diomed called 
out to the man: “Stop, or I will slay you 
with my spear.” And he threw his spear, 
not meaning to kill the man, but to frighten 
him, making it pass over his shoulder, so 
that it stood in the ground before him. 
When Dolon saw the spear he stood still, 
and his teeth chattered with fear. And 
the two came up to him, breathing hard, 
for they had been running fast. Then said 
Dolon, weeping as he spoke: “Do not 
kill me; my father will pay a great ran¬ 
som for me, if he hears that you are keeping 
me at your ships; much gold and bronze and 
iron will he pay for my life.” 

Ulysses answered: “Be of good cheer. 
Tell us truly why you were coming through 

U3 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


the darkness. Was it to spoil the dead, or 
did Hector send you to spy out what was 
going on at the ships, or was it on some 
private business of your own?” 

Dolon answered: “ Hector persuaded me 
to go, promising that he would give me 
the chariot and horses of Achilles. And I 
was to spy out what you had in your 

minds to do on the morrow and whether 
you were keeping watch.” 

Ulysses laughed when the man spoke of 
the chariot and horses of Achilles. “Truly,” 
he said, “it was a great reward that you 

deserved. The horses of Achilles are hard 
to manage, except a man be the son of a 
god or a goddess. But tell me, where is 
Hector? and what watch does the Trojan 
keep?” 

Dolon answered: “When I came away 
from the camp of the Trojans, Hector was 
holding council with the chiefs close to 
the tomb of Ilus. As for the watches, there 

are none set, except in that part of the camp 

where the Trojans are. As for the allies, 
they sleep without caring for watches, thinking 
that the Trojans will do this for them.” 

J 74 


DIOMED AND ULYSSES 


Then Ulysses asked again: “Do the allies 
then sleep among the Trojans or apart ?” 

Then Dolon told him about the camp, 
who were in this place and who were in 
that. “But/’ he went on, “if you would 
know where you may best make your way 
into the camp and not be seen, go to the 
furthest part upon the left. There are 
some newcomers, men from Thrace, with 
Rhesus their king. Never have I seen 
horses so big and so fine as his. And they 
are whiter than snow, and swifter than the 
wind. But now send me to the ships, or, 
if you cannot do that, having no one to 
take me, bind me and leave me.” 

But Diomed said: “Think not, Dolon, 
that we will suffer you to live, though, indeed, 
you have told us that which we desired to 
know. For then you would come again to 
spy out our camp, or, maybe, would fight 
with us in battle. But if we kill you, then you 
will trouble us no more.” 

So they killed him, and stripped him of 
his arms. These they hung on a tamarisk 
tree that there was in the place, making 
a mark with reeds and branches that they 

175 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

might know the place when they came 

back. Then they went on to the camp of 
the Trojans, and found the place of which 
Dolon had told them. There the men of 
Thrace lay asleep, each man with his arms 
at his side. And in the midst of the com¬ 
pany lay King Rhesus, with his chariot at 
his side, and the horses tethered to the rail 
of the chariot. Then Diomed began to 
slay the men as they slept. He was like 

a lion in the middle of a fold full of sheep, 
so fierce and strong was he, and they so 

helpless. Twelve men he slew, and as he 
slew them, Ulysses dragged their bodies out 
of the way, that there might be a clear 
road for the horses, for horses are wont 
to start aside when they see a dead body 

lying in the way. And 'These maybe,” so 
he thought to himself, "are not used to 
war.” Twelve men did Diomed slay, and 
King Rhesus the thirteenth, as he lay and 
panted in his sleep, for he had a bad dream 
at the very time when Diomed slew him. 
Meanwhile Ulysses had unbound the horses 
from the chariot and driven them out of 
the camp. With his bow he struck them, 

176 



Diomed and Ulysses Returning with the Spoils of Rhesus. 





































.'•C ' 




V 


» 








DIOMED AND ULYSSES 


for he had not thought to take the whip 
from the chariot. And when he had got 
the horses clear, then he whistled, for a 
sign to Diomed that he should come without 
more delay, for well he knew that Diomed 
would not easily be satisfied with slaying. 
And, truly, the man was lingering, doubting 
whether he might not kill yet more. But 
Athene whispered in his ear: “Think of 
your return; maybe some god will rouse 
the Trojans against you.” 

And, indeed, Apollo was rousing them. 
The cousin of King Rhesus awoke and, 
seeing the place of the horses empty, cried 
out, calling the King. So all the camp was 
roused. But Diomed and Ulysses mounted 
the horses and rode to the camp of the 
Greeks. Right glad were their comrades to 
see them and to hear the tale of what they had 
done. 


M 


177 
















CHAPTER XVI 


THE WOUNDING OF THE CHIEFS 


t-V 




CHAPTER XVI 


THE WOUNDING OF THE CHIEFS 

As soon as it was light Agamemnon called 
the Greeks, and Hector called the Trojans 
to battle, nor were either unwilling to obey. 
For a time the fighting was equal, but at 
noon, at the time when a man who is cut¬ 
ting down trees upon the hills grows weary 
of his work and longs for food, then the 
Greeks began to prevail. And the first man 
to break through the line of the Trojans was 
King Agamemnon. Never before had the 
King done such mighty deeds, for he drove 
the Trojans back to the very walls of the 
city. Hector himself did not dare to stand 
up before him, for Iris brought this message 
to him from Zeus: “So long as Agamem¬ 
non fights in the front, do you hold back, 
for this is the day on which it is his lot to 
win great honour for himself; but when he 
shall be wounded, then do you go forward, 

181 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

and you shall have strength to drive the 
Greeks before you till they come to the 
ships, and the sun shall set.” So Hector 
held back, and after a while the King was 
wounded. There were two sons of Antenor 
in one chariot, and they came against him. 
First the King threw his spear at the younger 
of the two, but missed his aim. Then the 
Trojan thrust at Agamemnon with his spear, 
driving it against his breastplate. With all 
his strength he drove it, but the silver which 
was in the breastplate turned the spear, so 
that it bent as if it had been of lead. Then 
the King caught the spear in his hand, and 
drove it through the neck of his adversary, 
so that he fell dead from the chariot. But 
when the elder brother saw this he also 
thrust at the King with his spear, nor did 
he thrust in vain, but he pierced his arm 
beneath the elbow. But him also did the 
King slay, wounding him first with his 
spear and afterwards cutting off his head 
with his sword. For a time, while the 
wound was warm, the King still fought, but 
when it grew cold and stiff, then the pain 
was greater than he could bear, and he said 

182 


THE WOUNDING OF THE CHIEFS 


to his charioteer, “Now carry me back to 
the ships, for I cannot fight any more.” 

The next of the chiefs that was wounded 
was Diomed. Him Paris wounded with an 
arrow as he was stripping the arms from a 
Trojan whom he had slain. For Paris hid 
himself behind the pillar which stood on 
the tomb of Ilus, and shot his arrows from 
thence. On the ankle of the right foot did 
Paris hit him, and when he saw that he 
had not shot the arrow in vain, he cried 
out aloud: “I wish that I had wounded 
you in the loin, bold Diomed, then you 
would have troubled the men of Troy no 
more!” 

But Diomed answered: “If I could but 
meet you face to face, you coward, your 
bow and your arrows would not help you. 
As for this graze on my foot, I care no more 
for it than if a woman or a child had struck 
me. Come near, and I will show you what 
are the wounds which I make with my 
spear.” 

Then he beckoned to Ulysses that he 
should stand before him while he drew the 
arrow from his foot. And Ulysses did so. 

183 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


But when he had drawn out the arrow, the 
pain was so great that he could not stand 
up, for all the brave words that he had 

spoken. And he bade his charioteer drive 

him to the ships. 

So Ulysses was left alone. Not one of 

the chiefs stood by him, for now that King 
Agamemnon and Diomed had departed, 
there was great fear upon all the Greeks. 
And Ulysses said to himself: £ ‘Now what 
shall I do ? It would be a shameful thing 
to fly from these Trojans, though there are 
many of them, and I am alone; but it would 
be still worse, if I were to be taken here and 
slain. Surely it is the doing of Zeus, that 

this trouble is come upon the Greeks, and 
who am I that I should fight against Zeus ? 
Yet why do I talk in this way? It is only 
the coward who draws back; a brave man 
stands in his place, whether he lives or dies.” 
But while he was thinking these things 
many Trojans came about him, as dogs 
come about a wild boar in a wood, and the 
boar stands at bay, and gnashes his big white 
teeth. So Ulysses stood, thrusting here and 
there with his long spear. Five chiefs he 

184 


THE WOUNDING OF THE CHIEFS 


slew; but one of the five, before he was 
slain, wounded him in the side, scraping the 
flesh from the ribs. Then Ulysses cried 
out for help; three times he cried, and the 
third time Menelaiis heard him, and called 
to Ajax. 

“O Ajax, I hear the voice of Ulysses, and 
it sounds like the voice of one who is in 
great trouble. Maybe the Trojans have 
surrounded him. Come, let us help him, 
for it would be a great loss to the Greeks if 
he were to come to any harm.” 

Then he led the way to the place from 
which the voice seemed to come, and Ajax 
followed him. And when they came to 
Ulysses, they found it was as Menelaiis had 
said; for the Trojans had beset Ulysses, as 
the jackals beset a deer with long horns 
among the hills. The beast cannot fly be¬ 
cause the hunter has wounded it with an 
arrow from his bow, and the wound has 
become stiff, and he stands at bay. Then 
a lion comes, and the jackals are scattered 
in a moment. So the Trojans were scattered 
when Ajax came. Then Menelaiis took 
Ulysses by the hand, and led him out of 

185 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


the throng, while Ajax drove the Trojans 
before him. 

And now yet another chief was wounded, 
for Paris from his hiding-place behind the 
pillar on the tomb of Ilus shot an arrow at 
Machaon, and wounded him on the right 
shoulder. And one of the chiefs cried to 
old Nestor, who was fighting close by: 
“Quick, Nestor, take Machaon in your 
chariot, and drive him to the ships, for the 
life of a physician is worth the lives of many 
men.” 

So Nestor took Machaon in his chariot, 
and touched his horses with the whip, and 
they galloped to the ships. 

Now Hector was fighting on the other side 
of the plain, and his charioteer said to him: 
“See how Ajax is driving our people before 
him. Let us go and stop him.” So they 
went, lashing the horses that they might go 
the faster, and the chariot rolled over many 
bodies of men, and the axle and the sides of 
it were red with blood. Then Zeus put fear 
into the heart of the great Ajax himself. He 
would not fly, but he turned round, throw¬ 
ing his great shield over his shoulder, and 

186 


THE WOUNDING OF THE CHIEFS 


moved towards the ships slowly, step by step. 
It was as when an ass breaks into a field and 
eats the standing corn, and the children of the 
village beat him with sticks. Their arms are 
weak, and the sticks are broken on the beast’s 
back, for he is slow in going, nor do they 
drive him out till he has eaten his fill. So 
the Trojans thrust at Ajax with their lances. 
And now he would turn round and face 
them, and now he would take a step towards 
the ships. 

Now Achilles was standing on the stern 
of his ship, looking at the battle, and Patroclus 
stood by him. And when old Nestor passed 
by taking Machaon to the ships, Achilles 
said to his friend: “Soon, I think, will the 
Greeks come and pray me to help them, for 
they are in great trouble. But go now and 
see who was this whom Nestor is taking to 
the ships. His shoulders, I thought, were 
the shoulders of Machaon, but his face I 
could not see, for the horses went by very 
fast.” 

Then Patroclus ran to do his errand. 
Meanwhile Nestor took Machaon to his 
tent. And there the girl that waited on 

187 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


the old man mixed for them a bowl of drink. 
First she set a table, and laid on it a bronze 
charger, and on it she put a flask of wine, 
and a leek, with which to flavour it, and 
yellow honey, and barley meal. And she 
fetched from another part of the tent a great 
bowl with four handles. On each side of 
the bowl there was a pair of handles, and 
on each handle there was a dove, wrought 
in bronze, and the doves seemed to be peck¬ 
ing at each other. A very big bowl it was, 
and, when it was full, so heavy that a man 
could scarcely lift it from the table; but 
Nestor, though he was old, could lift it 
easily. Then the girl poured the wine from 
the flask into the bowl, and put honey into 
it, and shredded cheese made of goat’s milk, 
and the leek to flavour it. And when the 
mess was ready, she bade them drink. So 
they drank, and talked together. 

But while they talked, Patroclus stood in 
the door of the tent. And Nestor went to 
him, and took him by the hand, and said: 
“Come now and sit down with us, and drink 
from the bowl.” But Patroclus would not. 
“Stay me not,” he said; “I came to see 

188 


THE WOUNDING OF THE CHIEFS 


who it was whom you have brought wounded 
out of the battle. And now I see that it is 
Machaon. Therefore I will go back with¬ 
out delay, for you know what kind of man 
is Achilles, how he quickly grows angry and is 
ready to blame/’ 

Then said Nestor: “What does Achilles 
care about the Greeks ? Why does he ask 
who are wounded ? O Patroclus, do you 
remember the day when Ulysses and I came 
to the house of Peleus ? Your father was 
there, and we feasted in the hall; and when 
the feast was finished, then we told Peleus 
why we had come, how we were gathering 
the chiefs of Greece to go and fight against 
Troy. And you and Achilles were eager to 
go. And the old men gave you much advice. 
Old Peleus said to Achilles: ‘You must 
always be the very first in the battle/ But 
to you your father said: ‘Achilles is of 
nobler birth than you, and he is stronger 
by far. But you are older, and years give 
wisdom. Therefore it will be your part to 
give him good counsel when there is need/ 
Why then do you not advise him to help 
us ? And if he is still resolved not to go 

189 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


forth to the battle, then let him send you 
forth, and his people with you, and let him 
lend you his armour to wear. Then the 
Trojans will think that Achilles himself has 
come back to the battle, and they will be 
afraid, and we shall have a breathing space.” 

Then Patroclus turned and ran back to the 
tent of Achilles. 


190 


CHAPTER XVII 


THE BATTLE AT THE WALL 













CHAPTER XVII 


THE BATTLE AT THE WALL 

Now by this time the Trojans were close 
upon the trench; but there they stood, for 
the horses were afraid, the trench being 
deep, and having great stakes set in it. 
Then Polydamas, who was one of the wisest 
of the Trojans, said to Hector: “This is 
but a mad thing, O Hector, to try to cross 
the trench in our chariots, for it is wide, 
and has many stakes set in it. Look too at 
this: how will it be when we have crossed 
it ? If, indeed, it is the pleasure of Zeus 
that the Greeks should perish utterly — well; 
but if, as has come to pass before, not once 
only, the Greeks take heart and turn upon 
us and drive us back, what shall we do ? 
Nay; let us leave our chariots here, and if 
need be, we can come back and find them 
waiting for us. But we will go on foot 
against the wall.” 


N 


193 



ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

So they jumped down from their chariots 
and went against the walls on foot. In five 
companies they went. The first, which was 
the largest and had in it the bravest of the 
Trojans, Hector himself led. And the next 
was commanded by Paris. The third was 
led by Helenus the prophet, and with him 
was Dei'phobus, who also was a son of King 
Priam; and Asius, one of the allies, who 
was King of Arisbe. Of the fourth iEneas 
was the leader, and of the fifth Sarepdon of 
Lycia with Glaucus and others from among 
the allies. They stood closely to each other, 
holding shield by shield, and so they went 
against the Greeks. All of them, also, left 
their chariots on this side of the trench, all 
except King Asius only. But he drove his 
chariot to a place where there was a road 
over the trench, and on the other side a 
gate. And this gate chanced to be open, 
for the keepers had set it open, so that any 
of the Greeks who were flying from the 
Trojans might find refuge inside it. When 
the keepers, who were two mighty men of 
valour, saw Asius and his company coming, 
they went forward and stood in front of the 

194 



advising Hector to retire from the Trench. 




















THE BATTLE AT THE WALL 


gate, for they had not time to shut it. There 
they stood, just as two wild boars might 
stand at bay against a crowd of men and 
dogs. And all the while the men who stood 
on the wall never ceased to throw down heavy 
stones on the Trojans. The stones fell as 
fast as the flakes of snow fall on a winter’s 
day, and the helmets and shields of the 
Trojans rang out as the stones crashed upon 
them. Many fell to the ground, and King 
Asius, for all his fury, could not make his way 
through the gate. 

At another of the gates, where Hector was 
leading his company, there was seen a very 
strange thing in the skies. An eagle had 
caught a great snake, and was carrying it in 
his claws to give to its young ones for food. 
But the snake fought fiercely for its life, and 
writhed itself about till it bit the bird upon 
the breast. And when the eagle felt that 
it had been bitten, it dropped the snake into 
the middle of the two armies, and flew away 
with a loud cry. Then Polydamas, who was 
a wise man, and knew the meaning of all 
such signs, said to Hector: “O Hector, it 
will be well for us not to follow the Greeks 

*95 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


to their ships. For this strange thing which 
we have just seen in the sky is a sign to us. 
The eagle signifies the Trojans, and the snake 
signifies the Greeks. Now, as the eagle 
caught the snake but could not hold it, so 
we have prevailed over the Greeks, but shall 
not be able to conquer them altogether. 
And as the snake turned upon the bird and 
bit it, so will the Greeks turn upon us and 
do us great damage, so that we shall be 
driven back from the ships, and leave many of 
our comrades dead behind us.” 

But Hector was angry to hear such words, 
and said: “This is bad advice that you give 
me. Surely the gods have changed your 
wisdom into foolishness. Would you have 
me forget the commandment of Zeus, when 
he bade me follow the Greeks even to their 
ships, and take heed to birds, and do one 
thing or another because they fly this way 
or that ? Little do I care whether they fly 
east or west or are seen on the right hand 
or on the left. Surely there is but one sign 
for a brave man, that he be fighting for his 
fatherland. Take heed, therefore, to your¬ 
self. Truly if you hold back from the war, 

196 


THE BATTLE AT THE WALL 


or cause any other man to hold back, I will 
smite you with my spear/’ 

Then he sprang forward, and the Trojans 
followed him with a great shout. And Zeus 
sent down from Mount Ida a great wind, 
and the wind carried the dust of the plain 
straight into the faces of the Greeks, troubling 
them not a little. But when the Trojans 
sought to drag down the battlements which 
were on the wall and to pull up the stakes 
which had been set to strengthen it, they 
could not, for the building was strong, and 
the Greeks stood firm in their place, with 
shield joining to shield, and fought for the 
wall. 

After a while Sarpedon the Lycian came 
to the front, for Zeus put it into his heart 
so to do, that he might win great glory for 
himself. He came holding his shield before 
him and with a long spear in either hand. 
Just as a lion, when he is mad with hunger, 
goes against a stable in which oxen are kept, 
or against a sheepfold, and does not care 
though it is guarded by many men and dogs, 
so did Sarpedon go against the wall. And 
he spoke to Glaucus, his kinsman, saying: 

197 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


“Tell me, Glaucus, why it is that our 
people at home honour us with the chief 
places at feasts, and with fat portions of flesh, 
and with wine of the best, and that they 
have set apart for us a great domain of 
orchard and of ploughland by the banks of 
the Xanthus. Surely it is that we may 
fight in the front rank, and show to others 
how they should behave in the battle. For 
so some one who may see us will say, ‘Of a 
truth these are honourable men, these princes 
of Lycia, and not without good right do 
they eat the fat and drink the sweet, for 

they are always to be seen fighting in the 

front.’ Maybe, if we could hope to live 
for ever, and to escape from old age and 
death, I would not either fight myself in 

the front or bid you do so; but now, seeing 

that there are ten thousand chances of death 
about us, let us see whether we may not win 
glory from another, or haply another may win 
it from us.” 

When he had so spoken he leapt forward, 
and Glaucus went with him, and all the 
host of the Lycians followed close behind. 
Then the keeper of the gate — he was a man 

198 


THE BATTLE AT THE WALL 


of Athens — was struck with great fear and 
looked about for help. All along the wall 
he looked, and he saw Ajax the Greater and 
Ajax the Less, and Teucer, for the hurt 
which Hector had given him was now healed. 
He would have shouted to them, but the 
din of arms, and the ringing of shields and 
helmets and the battering at the gates, would 
have drowned his voice. So he called a 
herald, and said: “Run now, and call Ajax 
hither — both the Greater and the Less, if it 
may be — for the danger is very great, and the 
chiefs of the Lycians press us hard. And 
if there is trouble there also, then let Ajax 
the Greater come at the least and Teucer 
with him, bringing his bow/’ So the herald 
ran with the message, and when Ajax the 
Greater heard it, he said to the other Ajax: 
“Stand here and keep off the enemy; and 
I will go yonder, and come again when I 
have done my work/’ 

So Ajax, and Teucer his brother, ran as 
quickly as they could to the gate, and just 
as they got to it the Lycians came against 
it with a great rush, as if it had been a 
storm of wind and rain. But still the Greeks 


199 





ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


stood firm, and Ajax slew one of the Lycian 
chiefs and Teucer wounded Glaucus on the 
shoulder. Quietly he jumped down from 
the wall, for he did not wish that any one 
should see that he was wounded. But Sar- 
pedon saw it and was sorry, because he was 
his kinsman and also a great help in the 
battle. Nevertheless he pressed on as bravely 
as before. First he slew one of the Greeks 
upon the wall, and then he laid hold of one 
of the battlements with his two hands and 
pulled it down, and a part of the wall with 
it. Thus there was a way made by which 
men might enter the camp. But Ajax and 
his brother stopped the Lycians for a time, 
aiming at Sarpedon, both of them together. 
Teucer struck at him with his spear, for 
the bow he could not use when the enemy 
was so near, and smote the strap of his shield, 
but did him no harm; Ajax drove his spear 
through the shield and pushed him back, 
so that he was forced to leap from the wall 
to the ground. But his courage was not 
one whit abated. He cried out: “Help 
me now, ye men of Lycia. It is hard for 
me, however great my strength, to do this 


200 


THE BATTLE AT THE WALL 


work alone, pulling down the wall and 
making a way for you to the ships.” And 
all his people, when they heard his voice, 
came rushing up in a great crowd. But the 
Greeks, on the other hand, strengthened their 
line, others coming to the place where they 
saw the need to be greatest, for indeed it 
was a matter of life and death. For a long 
time they fought with equal strength, for 
the Lycians could not break down the wall 
and make a way to the ships, and the Greeks 
could not drive the Lycians back. 

But at the last Zeus gave the glory to 
Hector. Once again he sprang to the front, 
crying: “Now follow me, men of Troy, 
and we will burn the ships.” In front of 
the gate there lay a great stone, broad at 
the bottom and sharp at the top. Scarcely 
could two men, the strongest that there are in 
these days, lift it on to a wagon; but Hector 
took it up as easily as a shepherd carries in 
one hand the fleece of a sheep. Now there 
were two folding doors in the middle of the 
gate, by which a man might enter without 
opening the gate. These doors were fastened 
by a bolt and a key. Then Hector lifted 


201 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


the great stone above his head, holding it 
with both his hands, and he put his feet 
apart, that his aim might be the surer and 
stronger, and threw it with all his might 
at the doors. With a mighty crash did it 
come against them, and the bolts could not 
hold against it, and the hinges were broken, 
and the doors flew back. Then Hector leapt 
into the open space, holding a spear in either 
hand, and his eyes flashed with fire. And 
the Trojans followed him, some entering by 
the gate and some climbing over the wall. 


202 


CHAPTER XVIII 


THE BATTLE AT THE SHIPS 




















CHAPTER XVIII 


THE BATTLE AT THE SHIPS 

Now Poseidon, the god of the sea, loved 
the Greeks, and when he saw from a distant 
mountain where he sat how they fled before 
the Trojans, he was greatly troubled; and 
he said to himself: “Now I will help 
these men.” It happened, also, that Zeus 
had turned his eyes from the battle, thinking 
that none of the gods would do the thing 
which he had forbidden, that is, bring help 
to the Greeks. So Poseidon left the moun¬ 
tain where he sat, and came to his palace 
under the sea. There he harnessed his horses 
to his chariot, and he passed over the waves, 
while the great beasts of the sea, whales and 
porpoises and the like, gambolled round him 
as he went, because they knew that he was 
their king. And when he came to the 
land of Troy, he left his chariot in a cave, 
and went on foot into the camp of the Greeks, 

205 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


having made himself like to Calchas the 
herald. And he came to the place where 
Ajax the Greater and the other Ajax were 
standing, and said to them: “Stir yourselves, 
for it is for you, who are stronger than other 
men, to save the people. I do not fear for 
the rest of the wall, but only for the place 
where Hector is fighting. Go then and 
keep him back, and may some god give you 
strength and courage.” 

And as he spoke he touched them with 
his staff and filled them with fresh courage, 
and gave new strength to their hands and 
to their feet. And when he had done this, 
he passed out of their sight, as quickly as 
a hawk flies when he drops from a cliff, 
chasing a bird. Then the Lesser Ajax per¬ 
ceived that he was not Calchas the herald 
but a god; and he said to the other Ajax: 
“This is a god who sends us to the battle. 
I knew him as he went away; and truly 
I feel my heart in me eager for the fight.” 
And Ajax the Greater answered: “So it 
is with me also. I am all on fire for the 
battle. I would go against this Hector, even 
should I go alone.” Meanwhile Poseidon 

206 


THE BATTLE AT THE SHIPS 

went through the army, stirring up the other 
chiefs in the same way. But still the Trojans 
came on, even fiercer than before. Then 
Teucer slew a famous chief, Imbrius by name, 
driving his spear point under the man’s ear. 
Like to some tall poplar by a river-side which 
a woodman cuts down with his axe of bronze, 
so did Imbrius fall. Then Hector cast his 
spear at Teucer. Him he missed, but he 
struck the comrade who was standing next 
to him. And Hector, as the man lay upon 
the ground, seized his helmet, and would 
have dragged the body among his own people. 
But Ajax the Greater thrust with his spear, 
and struck the boss of Nector’s shield so 
strongly that he was driven backward and 
loosed his hold of the helmet, and the Greeks 
carried the man to the ships. Next there 
was slain a chief from the land of Caria who 
had come to Troy, desiring to have Cassandra, 
daughter of King Priam, for his wife. Loudly 
had he boasted, saying that he would drive 
the Greeks to the ships; and the King had 
promised him his daughter. But now he 
was slain. And the King of the Cretans, 
when he saw him lie dead, cried: “Truly 

207 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


this was a great thing which you promised 
to King Priam, so that he might give you 
his daughter. You should have come rather 
to us, and Agamemnon would have given 
you the fairest of his daughters, bringing 
her from Argos, that she might be married 
to you, if only you would take for us this 
city of Troy. But come now with me to 
the ships, that we may treat with you about 
this matter. Verily you will find that we 
Greeks are men of an open hand.” Thus 
did the King speak, mocking the dead. 

King Asius heard these words and was full 
of anger, and came at the Prince of Crete, 
lifting his spear to throw it. He was on 
foot, and his chariot followed close after 
him. But before he could cast the spear 
the Prince of Crete smote him full on the 
breast, and he fell as an oak or a pine tree 
falls before the axes of the wood-cutters on 
the hills. And when the driver of the 
chariot saw his master fall he was struck 
with fear, not knowing what to do. Then 
Antilochus, who was the eldest son of old 
Nestor, struck him down with his spear, and 
jumped on to the chariot, and took it and 

208 


THE BATTLE AT THE SHIPS 

the horses for his own. Many other of the 
Trojans did the Greeks slay, and many they 
wounded. Even the mighty Hector himself 
was struck down for a time. He cast his 
spear at the great Ajax but hurt him not, 
for the point was turned by the armour, so 
thick it was and strong. And when he saw 
that he had cast the spear in vain, then he 
turned, and sought to go back to the ranks 
of his comrades; but, as he went, Ajax took 
up from the ground a great stone, one of 
many that lay there, and served as props for 
the ships, and cast it at Hector, smiting 
him above the rim of his shield on the 
neck. He fell as an oak falls when the 
lightning has struck it, and the Greeks, when 
they saw him fall, rushed with a great cry, 
and would have caught hold of his body 
and dragged it away. But this the Tro¬ 
jans did not suffer, for many of the bravest 
of them stood before him, covering him with 
their shields. And when they had driven 
back the Greeks a space, they lifted him 
from the ground, and carried him to the 
river and poured water upon him, After a 
while he sat up, and then his spirit left him 

209 


o 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


again, for it was a grievous blow which 
Ajax had dealt him. But when the Greeks 
saw that Hector had been carried out of 
the battle, they took fresh courage and 
charged the Trojans, and drove them back 
even beyond the walls and the trench. And 
when the Trojans came to the place where 
they had left their chariots and horses, they 
stood pale and trembling, not knowing what 
to do. 

But now Zeus turned his eyes again to 
the land of Troy. Very angry was he 
when he saw what had happened, how the 
Trojans fled from the Greeks, and Hector 
lay upon the plain, like to one that has 
fallen in battle, and his friends stood round 
him in great fear lest he had been wounded 
to the death. So he said to Hera: “Is 
this then your doing, rebellious one? Tell 
me now the truth, or it will be the worse 
for you.” And Hera answered: “Nay, 

this is not my doing. It is Poseidon who 
gives to the Greeks strength and courage.” 
Then said Zeus to Iris the messenger: “Go 
now to Poseidon and tell him that it is my 
will that he is not to meddle with these 


210 


THE BATTLE AT THE SHIPS 


things any more. Let him go back to the 
sea, for there he is master; but the things 
that happen on the earth, these belong to 
me. And when you have given this message 
to Poseidon, then go to Apollo and bid him 
go to Hector where he lies like a dead man 
on the plain, and put new life and courage 
into him, and send him back with new 
strength to the battle.” 

So Iris went on her errand. First she 
came to Poseidon, and gave him the message 
of Zeus. He was very angry when he 
heard it, and said: “Am I not his equal in 
honour ? By what right does he bid me do 
this thing and cease from doing that ? We 
were three brothers, sons of Old Time, and 
to me was given the dominion of the sea, 
and to Pluto the dwellings of the dead, and 
to Zeus to reign over the heaven and the 
earth.” 

But Iris answered: “O Poseidon, is it 
well to speak thus of Zeus ? Do you not 
know how the eldest born is ever the 
strongest ? ” And Poseidon answered: “ These 
are words of wisdom, O Iris, yet truly, 
if Zeus is minded to save this city of Troy, 


211 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


there will be enmity without ceasing between 
him and me.” 

Then went Iris to Apollo and gave him 
the message of Zeus. So Apollo hastened 
to Hector where he sat by the river-side, 
for already his strength had begun to come 
back to him. And Apollo said to him: 
“Why is this, O Hector? Why do you 
sit here and take no part in the battle?” 
Hector answered: “Is this a god that 
speaks to me ? Did you not see how Ajax 
struck me down with a great stone, so 
that I could not fight any more? Truly, 
I thought that I had gone down to the 
place of the dead.” Apollo said: “Take 
courage, my friend. I am Apollo of the 
Golden Sword, and Zeus has sent me to 
stand by you and to help you. Come now, 
call the Trojans together again, and go 
before them, and lead them to the ships, 
and I will be with you and make the way 
easy for you.” Then Hector stood up, and 
his strength came back to him as it had 
been before, and he called to the Trojans 
and went before them. The Greeks 
wondered when they saw him, for they 


212 


THE BATTLE AT THE SHIPS 


thought that he had been wounded to 
death. They were like men who hunt a 
stag or a wild goat and find a lion. Never¬ 
theless they kept up their courage, and 
stood close together with their faces towards 
the enemy; but though the chiefs stood 
firm, most of the Greeks turned their backs 
and fled. And Hector still came on and 

Apollo went before him, having a cloud 
of fire round his shoulders, and holding the 
great shield of Zeus in his hand. Many of 
the Greeks were slain that day. And now 

the Trojans came again to the trench and 

crossed it, and neither the wall nor the 
gates stopped them, and they came as far 
as the ships, Hector being first of all. And 
close behind Hector was a chief who carried 
a torch in his hand, with which to set fire 
to a ship. Him Ajax smote on the breast 
with his sword and killed him. And Hec¬ 
tor, when he saw it, cast his spear at 
Ajax. Him he missed, but he killed the 

comrade who was standing close by him. 
Then Ajax called to Teucer: “ Where is 
your bow and your arrows ? Shoot/’ So 
Teucer shot. With the first arrow he slew 


213 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


a Trojan; but when he laid another arrow 
upon the string and aimed it at Hector, 
the string broke, and the arrow went far 
astray. When Teucer saw this he cried 
out: “Surely the gods are against us; see 
how the string of my bow is broken, and 
yet it was new this very day.” And Ajax 
said to him: “Let your bow be, if the 
gods will not have you use it. Take your 
spear and fight. Truly, if the men of Troy 
prevail over us, yet they shall not take our 
ships for nothing.” So Teucer threw away 
his bow, and took up spear and shield. 
When Hector saw it, he cried: “Come on, 
men of Troy, for Zeus is with us, and they 
whom Zeus favours are strong, and they 
whom he favours not are weak. See now 
how he has broken the bow of Teucer, the 
great archer. Come on, therefore, for the 
gods give us victory. And even if a man 
die, it is a noble thing to die fighting for 
his country. His wife and children shall 
dwell in peace, and he himself shall be famous 
for ever.” 

Thus did Hector urge on his people to 
the battle; and Ajax, on the other hand, 

214 



Ajax Defending the Greek Ships against the Trojans. 





































THE BATTLE AT THE SHIPS 

called to the Greeks and bade them quit 
themselves like men. Many chiefs fell on 
either side, but still the Trojans prevailed 
more and more, and the Greeks fell back 
before them. And now Hector laid hold 
on one of the ships. Well did he know it, 
for it was the very first that had touched 
the Trojan shore, and he had slain the chief 
whose ship it was with his own hand as he 
was leaping to the shore. There the battle 
grew fiercer and fiercer; none fought with 
arrows or javelins, but close, man to man, 
with swords and battle-axes and spears, 
thrusting at each other. And Hector cried: 
“ Bring me fire that we may burn the 
ships of these robbers, for Zeus has given 
us the victory to-day.” And the Trojans 
came on more fiercely than before, so that 
Ajax himself was forced to give way, so 
much did the Trojans press him. For at first 
he stood on the stern deck, the ships being 
drawn up with the stern to the land and 
the forepart to the sea, and then being 
driven from the deck, in the middle of the 
ships, among the benches of the rowers. 
But still he fought bravely, thrusting at 

215 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


any one who came near to set fire to the 
ship. And he cried to the Greeks with 
a terrible voice, saying: “Now must you 
quit yourselves as men, O Greeks! Have 
you any to help you if you are conquered 
now ? Have you any walls behind which 
you may seek for shelter ? There is no 
city here with a wall and towers and 
battlements behind which you may hide 
yourselves. You are in the plain of Troy, 
and the sea is close behind us, and we are 
far from our own country. All our hope, 
therefore, is in courage, for there is no one to 
save if you will not save yourselves.” 

So did Ajax speak to the Greeks, and 
still as he spoke he thrust at the Trojans with 
his spear. 


216 


CHAPTER XIX 


THE DEEDS AND DEATH OF 
PATROCLUS 










CHAPTER XIX 


THE DEEDS AND DEATH OF PATROCLUS 

Patroclus stood by Achilles, weeping 
bitterly. And Achilles said to him: “What 
is the matter, Patroclus, that you weep ? 
You are like a girl-child that runs along 
by her mother’s side, and holds her gown 
and cries till she takes her up in her arms. 
Have you heard bad news from Phthia ? 
Yet your father still lives, I know, and so 
does the old man Peleus. Or are you 
weeping for the Greeks because they perish 
for their folly, or, maybe, for the folly of 
their King?” 

Then Patroclus answered: “ Be not angry 
with me, great Achilles. The Greeks are 
in great trouble, for all the bravest of their 
chiefs are wounded, and yet you still keep 
your anger, and will not help them. They 
say that Peleus was your father and Thetis 
your mothex. Yet I should say, so hard are 

219 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


you, that a rock was your father and your 
mother the sea. If you will not go forth 
to the battle because you have had some 
warning from the gods, then let me go, 
and let your people, the Myrmidons, go 
with me. And let me put on your armour; 
the Trojans will think that you have come 
back to the battle, and the Greeks will 
have a breathing space.” 

So Patroclus spoke, entreating Achilles, 
but he did not know that it was for his 
own death that he asked. And Achilles 
answered: “It is no warning that I heed, 
and that keeps me back from the battle. 
Such things trouble me not. But these men 
were not ashamed to stand by when their 
King took away from me the prize which 
I had won with my. own hands. But let 
the past be past. I said that I would not 
fight again till the Trojans should bring the 
fire near to my own ships. But now, for 
I see that the people are in great need, 
you may put on my armour, and lead my 
people to the fight. And, indeed, it is 
time to give help, for I see that the 
Trojans are gathered about the ships, and 


220 


DEATH OF PATROCLUS 


that the Greeks have scarce standing ground 
between their enemies and the sea. And 
I do not see anywhere either Diomed 
with his spear, nor King Agamemnon; 
only I hear the voice of Hector, as he 
calls his people to the battle. Go, there¬ 
fore, Patroclus, and keep the fire from the 
ships. But when you have done this, 
come back and fight no more with the 

Trojans, for it is my business to conquer 
them, and you must not take my glory from 
me. And mind this also: when you feel 
the joy of battle in your heart, be not 
over-bold; go not near to the wall of 
Troy, lest one of the gods meet you and 

harm you. For these gods love the Tro¬ 

jans, and especially the great archer Apollo 
with his deadly bow.” 

So these two talked together in the tent. 

But at the ships Ajax could hold out no 
longer. For the javelins came thick upon 
him and clattered on his helmet and 
his breastplate, and his shoulder was 
weary with the weight of his great shield. 
Heavily and hard did he breathe, and the 
great drops of sweat fell upon the ground. 


221 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


Then, at the last, Hector came near and 

struck at him with his sword. Him he 

did not hit, but he cut off the head of 
his spear. Great fear came on Ajax and 
he gave way, and the Trojans put torches 
to the ship’s stern, and a great flame rose 

up into the air. When Achilles saw the 
flames, he struck his thigh with his hand 

and said: “Make haste, Patroclus, for I 
see the fire rising up from the ships.” 

Then Patroclus put on the armour — 
breastplate and shield and helmet — and 
bound the sword on his shoulder, and 
took a great spear in his hand. But the 
great Pelian spear he did not take, for 
that no man could wield but Achilles only. 
Then the charioteer yoked the horses to 
the chariot. Two of the horses, Bayard and 
Piebald, were immortal, but the third was 
of a mortal breed. And while he did this, 
Achilles called the Myrmidons to battle. 

Fifty ships he had brought to Troy, and 

fifty men in each. And when they were 

assembled he said: “Forget not, ye Myr¬ 
midons, what you said when first I kept 
you back from the battle, how angry you 


222 




DEATH OF PATROCLUS 


were, and how you blamed me, complain¬ 
ing that I kept you back against your will. 
Now you have the thing that you desired.” 

So the Myrmidons went forth to battle 
in close array, helmet to helmet and shield 
to shield, close together as are the stones 
which a builder builds into a wall. Patro- 
clus went before them in the chariot of 
Achilles, with the charioteer by his side. 
And as they went, Achilles went to the 
chest which stood in his tent, and opened 
it, and took from it a great cup which 
Thetis his mother had given him. No 
man drank out of that cup but Achilles 
only. Nor did he pour libations out of 
it to any of the gods but to Zeus only. 
First he cleansed the cup with sulphur and 
then with water from the spring. After 
this he filled it with wine, and standing in 
the space before the tent he poured out 
from it to Zeus, saying: “O Zeus, this day 
I send my dear comrade to the battle. Be 
thou with him; make him strong and bold, 
and give him glory, and bring him home 
safe to the ships, and my people with him.” 

So he prayed; and Father Zeus heard 

223 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


his prayer: part he granted, but part he 
denied. 

Meanwhile Patroclus with the Myrmidons 
had come to the place where the battle was 
so hot, namely, the ship to which Hector 
had put the torch and set it on fire. And 
when the Trojans saw him and the armour 
which he wore, they thought that it had 
been Achilles, who had put away his 
anger, and had come forth again to the 

battle. Nor was it long before they turned 
to flee. So the battle rolled back again to 
the trench, and many chariots of the Trojans 
were broken, for when they crossed it for 

the second time they took their chariots 

with them; but the horses of Achilles 

sprang across it in their stride, so nimble 
were they and so strong. And great was 
the fear of the Trojans; even the great 
Hector fled. The heart of Patroclus was 
set upon slaying him, for he had forgotten 
the command which Achilles had laid upon 
him, that when he had saved the ships from 
the fire he should not fight any more. But 
though he followed hard after him, he could 
not overtake him, so swift were the Trojan 

22j. 


DEATH OF PATROCLUS 


horses. Then he left following him and 
turned back, and caused the chariot to be 
driven backwards and forwards, so that he 
might slay the Trojans as they sought to fly 
to the city. 

But there were some among the Trojans 
and their allies who would not flee. Among 
these was Sarpedon the Lycian; and he, when 
he saw his people flying before Patroclus, 
cried aloud to them: “Stand now and be of 
good courage: I myself will try this great 
warrior and see what he can do.” So he 
leapt down from his chariot, and Patroclus 
also leapt down from his, and the two rushed 
at each other, fierce and swift as two eagles. 
Sarpedon carried a spear in either hand, and 
he threw both of them together. With the 
one he wounded to the death one of the 

horses of Achilles, that which was of a mortal 
strain, but the other missed its aim, flying 
over the left shoulder of Patroclus. But the 
spear of Patroclus missed not its aim. Full 
on the heart of Sarpedon it fell, and broke 
through his armour, and bore him to the 

earth. He fell, as a pine or a poplar falls 

on the hills before the woodman’s axe. And 


p 


225 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


as he fell, he called to Glaucus his kinsman: 
“Now show yourself a man, O Glaucus; 
suffer not the Greeks to spoil me of my 
arms.” And when he had said so much, 
he died. Now Glaucus was still troubled 
by the wound which Teucer the archer had 
given him. But when he heard the voice 
of Sarpedon he prayed to Apollo, saying: 
“Give me now strength that I may save 
the body of my kinsman from the hands of 
the Greeks.” And Apollo heard him and 
made him whole of his wound. Then he 
called first to the Lycians, saying, “Fight 
for the body of your king,” and next to 
the Trojans, that they should honour the 
man who had come from his own land to 
help them, and lastly to Hector himself, 
who had now returned to the battle. “Little 
care you, O Hector,” he said, “for your allies. 
Lo! Sarpdoen is dead, slain by Patroclus. 
Will you suffer the Myrmidons to carry off 
his body and do dishonour to it?” 

Hector was much troubled by these words, 
and so were all the men of Troy, for among 
the allies there was none braver than Sarpe¬ 
don. So they charged and drove back the 

226 


Sleep and Death Conveying the Body of Sarpedon to Lycia. 























DEATH OF PATROCLUS 

Greeks from the body; and the Greeks 
charged again in their turn. No one would 
have known the great Sarpedon as he lay 
in the middle of the tumult, so covered was 
he with dust and blood. But at the last 
the Greeks drove back the Trojans from the 
body, and stripped it of its arms; but 
the body itself they harmed not. For at the 
bidding of Zeus, Apollo came down and 
carried it out of the tumult, and gave it to 
Sleep and Death that they should carry it 
to the land of Lycia. Then again Patroclus 
forgot the commands of Achilles, for he 
thought in his heart, “Now shall I take 
the city of Troy,” for, when he had driven 
the Trojans up to the very gates, he him¬ 
self climbed on to an angle of the wall. 
Three times did he climb upon it, and three 
times did Apollo push him back, laying his 
hand upon the boss of his shield. And 
when Patroclus climbed for the fourth time, 
then Apollo cried to him in a dreadful 
voice: “Go back, Patroclus; it is not for 
you to take the great city of Troy, no, nor 
even for Achilles, who is a far better man 
than you.” Then Patroclus went back, for 

227 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


he feared the anger of the god. But though 
he thought no more of taking the city, he 
raged no less against the Trojans. Then 
did Apollo put it into the heart of Hector 
to go against the man. So Hector said to 
his charioteer: “We will see whether we 
cannot drive back this Patroclus, for it must 
be he; Achilles he is not, though he wears 
his armour.” When Patroclus saw them 
coming he took a great stone from the 
ground, and cast it at the pair. The stone 
struck the charioteer full on the helmet. 
And as the man fell head foremost from the 
chariot, Patroclus laughed aloud, and said: 
“See now, how nimble is this man! See 
how well he dives! He might get many 
oysters from the bottom of the sea, diving 
from the deck of a ship, even though it 
should be a stormy day. Who would have 
thought that there would be such skilful 
divers in Troy?” 

Three times did Patroclus charge into 
the ranks of the Trojans, and each time 
he slew nine warriors. But when he 
charged the fourth time, then, for the hour 
of his doom was come, Apollo stood behind 

228 


DEATH OF PATROCLUS 

him, and gave him a great blow on his 
neck, so that he could not see out of his 

eyes. And the helmet fell from his 
head, so that the plumes were soiled with 

the dust. Never before had it touched the 
ground, from the first day when Achilles 
wore it. The spear also which he carried 

in his hand was broken, and the shield fell 
from his arm, and the breastplate on his 

body was loosened. Then, as he stood without 
defence and confused, one of the Trojans 
wounded him in the back with his spear. 
And when he tried to hide himself behind 
his comrades, for the wound was not mortal, 
Hector thrust at him with his spear, 
and hit him above the hip, and he fell to 
the ground. And when the Greeks saw him 
fall they sent up a dreadful cry. Then 
Hector stood over him, and said: “Did 
you think, Patroclus, that you would take 
our city, and slay us with the sword, and 
carry away our wives and daughters in your 
ships ? This you will not do, for, lo! I 
have overcome you with my spear, and the 
fowls of the air shall eat your flesh. And 
the great Achilles cannot help you at all. 

229 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


Did he not say to you, ‘Strip the fellow’s 
shirt from his back and bring it to me’? 
and you, in your folly, thought that you 
would do it.” 

Patroclus answered: “You boast too 

much, O Hector. It is not by your hand 

that I am overcome; it has been Apollo 
who has brought me to my death. Had 

twenty such as you are come against me, 
truly I had slain them all. And mark you 
this: death is very near to you, for the 
great Achilles will slay you.” 

Then said Hector: “Why do you pro¬ 
phesy my death ? Who has shown you the 
things to come ? Maybe, as I have slain 

you, so shall I also slay the great Achilles.” 
So Hector spoke, but Patroclus was dead 

already. Then he drew the spear from the 
wound, and went after the charioteer of 
Achilles, hoping to slay him and to take 
the chariot for spoil, but the horses were 
so swift that he could not come up with 
them. 


230 


CHAPTER XX 


THE ROUSING OF ACHILLES 










CHAPTER XX 


THE ROUSING OF ACHILLES 

Very fierce was the fight for the body of 
Patroclus, and many warriors fell both on 
this side and on that; and the first to be 
killed was the man who had wounded him 
in the back; for when he came near to 
strip the dead man of his arms, King Mene- 
laiis thrust at him with his spear and slew 
him. He slew him, but he could not strip 
off his arms, because Hector came and stood 
over the body, and Menelaiis did not dare 
to stand up against him, knowing that he 
was not a match for him in fighting. Then 
Hector spoiled the body of Patroclus of the 
arms which the great Achilles had given 
him to wear. But when he laid hold of 
the body, and began to drag it away to the 
ranks of the Trojans, the Greater Ajax came 
forward, and put his big shield before it. 
As a lioness stands before its cubs and will 


233 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


not suffer the hunter to take them, so did 
Ajax stand before the body of Patroclus and 
defend it from the Trojans. And Hector 
drew back when he saw him. Then Glaucus 
the Lycian spoke to him in great anger: 
“Are you not ashamed, O Hector, that you 
dare not stand before Ajax ? How will you 
and the other Trojans save your city? Truly 
your allies will not fight any more for you, 
for though they help you much, yet you 
help them but little. Did not Sarpedon fall 
fighting for you, and yet you left him to 
be a prey to the dogs ? And now, had you 
only stood up against this Ajax, and dragged 
away the body of Patroclus, we might have 
made an exchange, giving him and his arms, 
and receiving Sarpedon from the Greeks. 
But this may not be, because you are afraid 
of Ajax, and flee before him when he comes 
to meet you.” 

Hector answered: “I am not afraid of 
Ajax, nor of any man. But this I know, 
that Zeus gives victory now to one and now 
to another; this only do I fear, and this 
only, to go against the will of Zeus. But wait 
here, and see whether or no I am a coward.” 


234 



The Fight for the Body of Patroclus. 














. 






. 




. 


. 

. 



THE ROUSING OF ACHILLES 

Now he had sent the armour of Patroclus 
to the city; but when he heard Glaucus 
speak in this manner, he ran after the men 
who were carrying it and overtook them, 
and stripped off his own armour, and put 
on the armour of Achilles. And when Zeus 
saw him do this thing he was angry, and 
said to himself, “ These arms will cost Hector 
dear.” Nevertheless, when he came back to 
the battle, all men were astonished, for he 
seemed like to the great Achilles himself. 
Then the Trojans took heart again, and 
charged all together, and the battle grew 
fiercer and fiercer. For the Greeks said to 
themselves: “It were better that the earth 
should open her mouth and swallow us up 
alive than that we should let the Trojans 
carry off the body of Patroclus.” And the 
Trojans said to themselves: “Now if we 
must all be slain fighting for the body of 
this man, be it so; but we will not yield.” 
Now while they fought the horses of 
Achilles stood apart from the battle, and 
the tears rushed down from their eyes, for 
they loved Patroclus, and they knew that 
he was dead. Still they stood in the same 

235 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


place; they would not enter into the battle, 
neither would they turn back to the ships. 
And the charioteer could not move them 

with the lash, or with threats, or with 

gentle words. As a pillar stands by the 
grave of some dead man, so they stood; 
their heads drooped to the ground, and the 
tears trickled down from their eyes, and 
their long manes were trailed in the dust. 

When Zeus saw them he pitied them 

in his heart. And he said: “It was not 

well that I gave you, immortal as you are, 
to a mortal man, for of all things that live 
and move upon the earth, surely man is the 
most miserable. But Hector shall not have 

you. It is enough for him, yea, it is too 

much that he should have the arms of 

Achilles.” 

Then the horses moved from their place, 
and obeyed their driver as before; and 
Hector could not take them, though he 
greatly desired so to do. 

All this time the battle raged yet more 

and more fiercely about the body of Patroclus. 
At the last, when the Greeks were growing 
weary, and the Trojans pressed them more 

236 


THE ROUSING OF ACHILLES 


and more, Ajax said to Menelaiis, for these 
two had borne themselves more bravely in 
the battle than all the others: “See now 
if you can find Antilochus, Nestor’s son, and 
bid him run and carry the news to Achilles 
that Patroclus is dead, and that the Greeks 
and Trojans are fighting for his body.” So 
Menelaiis went, and found Antilochus on 
the left side of the battle. And he said to 
him: “I have bad news for you. You see 
that the Trojans prevail in the battle to¬ 
day. And now Patroclus lies dead. Run, 
therefore, to Achilles and tell him; maybe 
he can yet save the body; as for the arms, 
Hector has them.” 

Antilochus was greatly troubled to hear 
the news; his eyes filled with tears, and 
he could not speak for grief. But he gave 
heed to the words of Menelaiis, and ran to tell 
Achilles what had happened. 

And Menelaiis went back to Ajax, where 
he had left him standing close by the body 
of Patroclus. And he said to him: “I have 
found Antilochus, and he is carrying the 
news to Achilles. Yet I doubt whether he 
will come to the battle, however great his 

237 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


anger may be and his grief, for he has no 
armour to cover him. Let us think, there¬ 
fore, how we may best save the body of 
Patroclus from the Trojans.” 

Ajax said: “Do you and Meriones run 
forward and lift up the body and carry it 
away.” So Menelaus and Meriones ran for¬ 
ward and lifted up the body. But when 
they would have carried it away, then the 
Trojans ran fiercely at them. So the battle 
raged; neither could the Greeks save the 
body, nor could the Trojans carry it away. 
Meanwhile Antilochus came to Achilles where 
he sat by the door of his tent. With a 
great fear in his heart he sat, for he saw 
that the Greeks fled and the Trojans pursued 
after them. Then said Nestor’s son: “I 
bring bad news. Patroclus is dead, and 
Hector has his arms, but the Greeks and 
Trojans are fighting for his body.” 

Then Achilles threw himself upon the 
ground, and took the dust in his hands, and 
poured it on his head, and tore his hair. 
And all the women wailed aloud. And 
Antilochus sat weeping; but while he wept 
he held the hands of Achilles, for he was afraid 

238 


THE ROUSING OF ACHILLES 

that in his anger he would do himself a mis¬ 
chief. But his mother heard his cry, where 
she sat in the depths of the sea, and came to 
him and laid her hand upon his head, and said: 
“Why do you weep, my son? Tell me; hide 
not the matter from me/’ Achilles answered: 
“All that you asked from Zeus, and that he 
promised to do, he has done: but what is the 
good ? The man whom I loved above all others 
is dead, and Hector has my arms, for Patroclus 
was wearing them. As for me, I do not wish 
to live except to avenge myself upon him.” 

Then said Thetis: “My son, do not speak 
so: do you not know that when Hector dies, 
the hour is near when you also must die?” 

Then Achilles cried in great anger: “I 
would that I could die this hour, for I sent 
my friend to his death; and I, who am better 
in battle than all the Greeks, could not help 
him. Cursed be the anger that sets men to 
strive with one another, as it made me strive 
with King Agamemnon. And as for my fate 
— what matters it ? Let it come when it 
may, so that I may first have vengeance on 
Hector. Seek not, therefore, my mother, to 
keep me back from the battle.” 

239 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


Thetis answered: “Be it so, my son: 
only you cannot go without arms, and these 
Hector has. But to-morrow I will go to 
Hephaestus, that he may make new arms 
for you.” 

But while they talked, the Trojans pressed 
the Greeks still more and more, so that Ajax 
himself could no longer stand against them. 
Then truly they would have taken the body 
of Patroclus, had not Zeus sent Iris to Achilles 
with this message: “Rouse yourself, son of 
Peleus, or, surely, Patroclus will be a prey 
to the dogs of Troy.” But Achilles said: 
“How shall I go? For I have no arms, 
nor do I know of any one whose arms I 
could wear. I might shift with the shield 
of great Ajax; but this he is carrying, as is 
his custom, in the front of the battle.” 

Then said Iris: “Go only to the trench 
and show yourself, for the Trojans will be 
swift and draw back, and the Greeks will 
have a breathing-space.” 

So Achilles ran to the trench. And Athene 
put her great shield about his shoulders, and 
set as it were a circle of gold about his head, 
so that it shone like to a flame of fire. To the 


240 


THE ROUSING OF ACHILLES 


trench he went, but he obeyed the word of 
his mother, and did not mix in the battle. 
Only he shouted aloud, and his voice was 
as the voice of a trumpet. It was a terrible 
sound to hear, and the hearts of the men 
of Troy were filled with fear. The very 
horses were frightened, and started aside, so 
that the chariots clashed together. Three 
times did Achilles shout across the trench, 
and three times did the Trojans fall back. 
Twelve chiefs perished that hour; some were 
wounded by their own spears, and some were 
trodden down by their own horses; for the 
whole army was overcome with fear, from 
the front ranks to the hindermost. Then the 
Greeks took up the body of Patroclus from 
the place where it lay, and put it on the bier, 
and carried it to the tent of Achilles, and 
Achilles himself walked by its side weeping. 
This had been a sad day, and to bring it 
sooner to an end Hera commanded the sun 
to set before his time. So did the Greeks 
rest from their labours. 

On the other side of the field, the Trojans 
held an assembly. And one of the elders 
stood up and said: “Let us not wait here 
q 241 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


for the morning. It was well for us to fight 
at the ships so long as Achilles was angry 
with King Agamemnon. But now this has 
ceased to be. To-morrow will he come back 
to the battle, the fiercer on account of his 
great grief, Patroclus being slain. Surely it 
will be an evil day for us, if we wait his 
coming. Let us go back to the city, for 
its walls are high and its gates are strong, 
and the man who seeks to pass them will 
perish.” 

But Hector said: “This is bad counsel. 
Shall we shut up ourselves in the city ? Are 
not our goods wasted ? Have we enough 
wherewith to feed the people ? Nay; we 
will watch to-night and to-morrow we will 
fight. And if Achilles comes to the battle, 
I will meet him, for the gods give victory 
now to one man and now to another.” 

And the people clapped their hands, for 
they were foolish, and knew not what the 
morrow would bring forth. 


242 


CHAPTER XXI 


THE MAKING OF THE ARMS 



CHAPTER XXI 


THE MAKING OF THE ARMS 

Meanwhile there was a great mourning for 
Patroclus in the camp of the Greeks. And 
Achilles stood up in the midst of the people 
and said: “Truly the gods do not fulfil the 
thoughts of men. Did I not say to the 
father of Patroclus that I would return with 
him, bringing back our portion of the spoils 
of Troy? And now he is dead; nor shall 
I return to the house of Peleus my father, 
for I too must die in this land. But I care 
not, if only I may have vengeance upon 
Hector. Truly I will not bury Patroclus 
till I can bring the head and the arms of 
Hector with which to honour him/’ So 
they washed the body of Patroclus, and put 
ointment into the wounds, and laid it on 
a bed, and covered with a linen cloth 
from the head to the feet, putting over 
the linen cloth a white robe. And all 


245 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

night the Myrmidons made lamentation for 
him. 

Thetis went to the house of Hephaestus, 
who was the god of all them who worked 
in gold and silver and iron. She found him 
busy at his work, for he was making cauldrons 
for the palace of the gods. They had golden 
wheels underneath them with which they 
could run of themselves into the chambers 
of the palace, and come back of themselves 
as might be wanted. The Lady Grace who 
was wife to Hephaestus saw Thetis, and 
caught her by the hand, and said: “O 
Goddess, whom we love and honour, what 
business brings you here ? Gladly will we 
serve you.” And she led her into the house, 
and set her on a chair that was adorned with 
silver studs, and put a stool under her feet. 
Then she called to her husband, saying: 
“ Thetis is here, and wants something from 
you. Come quickly.” He answered: “Truly 
there could be no guest more welcome than 
Thetis. When my mother cast me out 
from her house because I was lame, then 
Thetis and her sister received me in their 
house under the sea. Nine years I dwelt 

246 


THE MAKING OF THE ARMS 


with them, yes, and hammered many a 
trinket for them in a hollow cave that was 
close by. Truly I would give the price 
of my life to serve Thetis.” Then he put 
away his tools, and washed himself, and took 
a staff in his hands and came into the house, 
and sat down upon a chair, and said: “Tell 
me all that is in your mind, for I will do 
all that you desire if only it can be done.” 
Then Thetis told him of how her son 

Achilles had been put to shame by King 
Agamemnon, and of his anger, and of all 
that came to pass afterwards, and of how 
Patroclus had been slain in battle, and how 
the arms were lost. And having told this 
story, she said: “Make for my son Achilles, 
I pray you, a shield, and a helmet, and greaves 
for his legs, and a breastplate.” 

“That will I do,” answered Hephaestus, 
“I will make for him such arms as men 
will wonder at when they see them. Would 
that I could keep from him as easily the 

doom of death!” 

So he went to his forge and turned the 

bellows to the fire, and bade them work, 
for they did not need a hand to work 

247 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


them. And he put copper and tin and 
gold and silver into the fire to make them 
soft, and set the anvil, and took the 
hammer in one hand and the tongs in the 
other. 

First he made a shield, great and strong, 
with a silver belt by which a man might 
hold it. On it he made an image of the 
earth and the sky and the sea, with the 

sun and the moon and all the stars. Also 

he made images of two cities; in one city 
there was peace, and in the other city 
there was war. In the city of peace they 

led a bride to the house of her husband 
with music and dancing, and the women 
stood in the door to see the show. And 
in another part of the same city the judges 
sat, to judge the case of a man who had 
been slain. One man said that he had paid 
the price of blood, for if one man slays 

another he must pay a price for him, and 
the other man said the price was not paid. 
Round about the city of war there was an 
army of besiegers and on the wall stood 
men defending it. Also the men of this 
same city had set an ambush by a river, at 

248 


THE MAKING OF THE ARMS 


a place where the cattle came down to 
drink. And when the cattle came down 
the men that lay in ambush rose up 
quickly, and took them, and slew the herds¬ 
men. And the army of the besiegers heard 
the cry, and rode on horses, and came 
quickly to the river and fought with the 
men who had taken the cattle. Also he 
made the image of one field in which men 
were ploughing, and of another in which 
reapers reaped the corn, and behind the 
reapers came boys who gathered the corn in 
their arms and bound it in sheaves; at the 
top of the field stood the master, glad at 
heart because the harvest was good. Also 
he made a vineyard, and through the vine¬ 
yard there was a path, and along the path 
went young men and maids bearing baskets 
of grapes, and in the midst stood a boy 
holding a harp of gold, who sang a pleasant 
song. Also he made a herd of oxen going 
from the stalls to the pasture; and close by 
two lions had laid hold of a great bull and 
were devouring it, and the dogs stood far 
off and barked. A sheep-fold also he made, 
and a dance of men and maids; the men 


249 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


wore daggers of gold hanging from silver 
belts, and the maids had gold crowns round 
their heads. And round about the shield 
he made ocean like to a great river. Also 
he made a breastplate, and a great helmet 
with a ridge of gold, in which the plumes 
should be set, and greaves of tin for the 
legs. When he had finished all his work, 
he gave the shield and the other things to 

Thetis. And she flew, swift as a hawk, to 

where her son abode by the ships. She 
found him lying on the ground, holding in 
his arms the body of Patroclus, weeping 
aloud, while his men lamented. 

The goddess stood in the midst, and caught 
her son by the hand and said: “Come now, 
let us leave the dead man; it was the will 
of the gods that he should die. But you 

must think about other things. Come now 
and take this gift from Hephaestus, armour 
beautiful exceedingly, such as man has never 
yet worn.” 

And as she spoke, she cast the armour 
down at the feet of Achilles. It rattled 
loud as it fell, and it shone so brightly that 
the eyes of the Myrmidons were dazzled 

250 



Thetis Bringing the Armour to Achilles. 


























































THE MAKING OF THE ARMS 


by it. But Achilles took up the arms from 
the ground, glad at heart to see them, and 
said: “Mother, these indeed are such arms 
as can be made in heaven only. Gladly 
will I put them on for the battle. Yet one 
thing troubles me. I fear lest decay should 
come on the body of Patroclus, before I 
can do it such honour as I desire.” 

But Thetis answered: “Let this not 
trouble you. I will keep the body from 
decay. But do you make peace with the king 
and prepare yourself for the battle.” And 
she put precious things such as are known 
only in heaven into the nostrils of the dead 
man to keep him from decay. 


251 





















CHAPTER XXII 


THE QUARREL ENDED 







CHAPTER XXII 


THE QUARREL ENDED 

Achilles went along by the ships, shouting 
with a loud voice to the Greeks that they 
should come to the battle. And they all 
came; there was not a man left, even those 
who had been used to stay behind, the men 
who looked after the ships, and they who 
had the care of the food. They all followed 
when Achilles came back to the war. 
And the chiefs came to the assembly, some 
of them, as Diomed and Ulysses and King 
Agamemnon himself, leaning on their spears 
because their wounds were fresh. 

Achilles stood up and spoke: “It was a 
foolish thing, King Agamemnon, that we 
quarrelled about a girl. Many a Greek 
who is now dead had still been alive but 
for this, and the Trojans would not have 
profited by our loss. But let bygones be 
bygones. Here I make an end of my 

255 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

anger. Make haste, then, and call the 
Greeks to battle, and we will see whether 

the Trojans will fight by the ships or by 

their own walls.” 

Then King Agamemnon answered from 
the place where he sat: “Listen, ye Greeks. 
You have blamed me for this quarrel; yet 

it was not I, but the Fury who turns the 
thoughts of men to madness, that brought 
it about. Nevertheless it is for me to make 
amends. And this I will do, giving thee 
all the gifts which Ulysses promised in my 
name. Stay here till my people bring them 
from the ships.” Achilles said: “Give the 
gifts, O King, if you are pleased so to do, 
or keep them for yourself. There is one 
thing only that I care for, to get to the 
battle without delay.” 

Then said the wise Ulysses: “Achilles, 
do not make the Greeks fight before they 

have eaten, for the battle will be long, be¬ 
cause the gods have put courage into the 
hearts of the Trojans. A man who has not 
eaten cannot fight from morning to sunset, 
for his limbs grow weary, and he thinks 
about food and drink. Let us bid the 

256 


THE QUARREL ENDED 

people therefore disperse, and make ready a 
meal, and let King Agamemnon first send 

the gifts to your tent, and then let him 
make a feast, as is right when friends who 
have quarrelled make peace again.” King 
Agamemnon answered: “You speak well, 
Ulysses. Do you yourself fetch the gifts, 
and my people shall make ready a feast.” 
Achilles said: “How can I think of feast¬ 
ing when Patroclus lies dead ? Let there 
be no delay, and let the Greeks sup well 
when they have driven the Trojans into 
their city. As for me, neither food nor drink 
shall pass my lips.” 

But Ulysses answered: “You are by far 
stronger than I am, O son of Peleus, but I 
am the older, and have seen many things. 
Ask not the Greeks to fast because of the 
dead. For men die every day, and every 

day would be a day of fasting. Rather let 

us bury our dead out of our sight, and 
mourn for them for a day, and then harden 
our hearts to forget. And let them who 
are left strengthen themselves with meat 
and drink, that they may fight the better.” 

Then Ulysses went to the ships of King 

257 


K 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


Agamemnon and fetched thence the gifts, 
the cauldrons and the horses and the gold, 
and the women slaves, and chief of all the 
girl Briseis, and he took them to the tent 
of Achilles. And when Briseis saw Patroclus 
lying dead upon the couch, she beat her 
breast and her face and wailed aloud, for 
he had been gentle and good. And the 

other women wept with her, thinking each 
of her own troubles. 

When the King and the chiefs would 
have had Achilles feast with them he re¬ 
fused. “I will not eat or drink,” said he, 
“till I shall have had vengeance. Often, 
O Patroclus, have you made ready the meal 
when we were going to battle, and now 
you lie dead. I had not grieved so much 

if my old father or my only son had died. 
Often have I said to myself: ‘I, indeed, 
shall die in this place, but Patroclus will 
go back and show my son all that was 
mine, goods and servants and palace.’ ” 

And as he wept the old men wept with him, 
thinking each of those whom he had left at home. 

Then the Greeks took their meal, the 

chiefs with King Agamemnon, and the others 

258 


THE QUARREL ENDED 

each with his own company. But Achilles 
sat fasting. Then Zeus said to Athene: 
“Do you not care for your dear Achilles? 
See how the other Greeks eat and drink, 
but he sits fasting/’ So Athene flew down 
from heaven, and poured heavenly food into 
the breast of Achilles that his strength 
might not fail for hunger. But he did 
not know what she did; only he felt the 
new strength in him. Then he armed him¬ 
self with the arms which Thetis brought to 
him from Hephaestus, and he took from its 
case the great Pelian spear which no man 
but he could wield. After this he climbed 
into his chariot, and he said to his horses: 
“Take care now, Bayard and Piebald, that 
you do not leave your master to-day, as you 
left Patroclus yesterday, dead on the field.” 
Then Hera gave a voice to the horse 
Bayard, and he said: “It was not our fault, 
O Achilles, that Patroclus died. It was 
Apollo who slew him, but Hector had the 
glory. You too, some day, shall be slain by 
a god and a man.” Achilles answered: “I 
know my doom, but I care not so that I may 
have vengeance on the Trojans.” 

259 














CHAPTER XXIII 


THE BATTLE AT THE RIVER 


CHAPTER XXIII 


THE BATTLE AT THE RIVER 

When the two armies were set in order 
against each other, Apollo said to iEneas: 
“iEneas, where are now your boastings that 
you would stand up against Achilles and 
fight with him?” 

iEneas answered: “That, indeed, I said 
long ago in days that are past. Once I 
stood up against him; it was when he took 
the town of Lyrnessus. But he overcame 
me, and I fled before him, and but for my 
nimble feet I had been slain that day. 
Surely a god is with him, and makes his 
spear to fly so strongly and so straight.” 

But Apollo answered: “But if he is the 
son of a goddess, so also are you; and, 
indeed, your mother is greater than his, for 
she is the child of Zeus, and Thetis is but 
a daughter of the Sea. Drive straight at 
him with your spear, and do not fear his 
fierce words and looks.” 

263 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


So iEneas came forth out of the press to 
meet Achilles. And Achilles said to him: 
“What mean you, iEneas ? do you think 
to slay me? Have the Trojans promised 
that they will have you for their king, or 
that they will give a choice portion of land, 
ploughland and orchard, if only you can 
prevail over me? You will not find it an 
easy thing. Have you forgotten the day 
when you fled before me at Lyrnessus?” 

iEneas said: “Son of Peleus, you will 
not frighten me with words, for I also am 
the son of a goddess. Come, let us try 
who is the better of us two.” 

So he cast his spear, and it struck full 
on the shield of Achilles, and made so 
dreadful a sound that the hero himself was 
frightened. But the shield that a god had 
made was not to be broken by the spear 
of a mortal man. It pierced, indeed, the 
first fold and the second, which were of 
bronze, but it was stopped by the third, 
which was of gold, and there were two 
more folds, and these of tin. Now Achilles 
threw his spear. Easily it pierced the 
shield of the Trojan, and though it did 

264 


THE BATTLE AT THE RIVER 


not wound him it came so near that he 
was deadly frightened. Yet he did not fly, 
for when Achilles drew his sword and rushed 
at him, he took up a great stone from the 
ground to throw at him. Nevertheless he 
would have been most certainly slain but 
for the help of the gods. For it was de¬ 
creed that he and his children after him 
should reign in the time to come over the 
men of Troy. Therefore Poseidon himself, 
though for the most part he had no love 
for the Trojans, caught him up and carried 
him out of the battle; but first he took 
Achilles’ spear out of the shield and laid it 
at the hero’s feet. Much did he marvel to 
see it. “Here is a great wonder,” he cried, 
“that I see with my eyes. My spear that 
I threw I see lying at my feet, but the 
man at whom I threw it I see not. Truly this 
iEneas is dear to the gods.” 

Then he rushed into the battle, slaying 
as he went. Hector would have met him, 
but Apollo said: “Fight not with Achilles, 
for he is stronger than you and will slay 
you.” So Hector stood aside. Yet when 
he saw the youngest of his brothers slain 

265 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


before his eyes, he could bear it no longer, 
and rushed to meet Achilles. Right glad 
was Achilles to see him, saying to himself: 
“The time is come; this is the man who 

killed Patroclus.” And to Hector he said: 
“Come on and taste of death/’ But Hector 
answered: “You will not frighten me with 
words, son of Peleus, for though one man 

be stronger than another, yet it is Zeus 
who gives the victory.” 

Then he cast his spear, but Athene turned 
it aside with a breath. And when Achilles 
leapt upon him with a shout, then Apollo 

snatched him away. Three times did he 

leap at him, and three times he struck only 
the mist. The fourth time he cried with 
a terrible voice: “Dog, these four times you 
have escaped from death, but I shall meet 
you again when Apollo is not at hand to 

help you.” 

And now as the Trojans fled before 

Achilles, they came to the river Xanthus, 

and they leapt into it till it was full of 

horses and men. Achilles left his spear upon 
the bank and rushed into the water, having 
only his sword. And the Trojans were like 

266 


THE BATTLE AT THE RIVER 


to fishes in the sea when they fly from a 
dolphin — in rocks and shallows they hide 
themselves, but the great beast devours them 
apace. There was but one man of them 
all who dared to stand up against him. 
When Achilles saw him he said, “And who 
are you that dare to stand up against me?” 
And the man said, “I am the son of Axius, 
the river god, and I come from the land of 
Paeonia.” And as he spoke he cast two spears, 
one with each hand, for he could use both 
hands alike. The one struck on the shield 

and pierced two folds, but was stayed in the 
third, as the spear of iEneas had been; 
with the other he grazed the right hand 
of Achilles, so that the blood gushed forth. 
Then Achilles cast his spear but missed his 
aim, and the spear stood fast in the river 
bank. Then the other laid hold of it and 

tried to drag it forth. Three times he 
tried, but could not move it; the fourth 
time he tried to break it. But as he tried 
Achilles slew him. Yet he had this glory 

that he alone wounded the great Achilles. 

But Achilles had to fight not only with 

mortal men, but with the god of the river 

267 



ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


also. For when the god of the river saw 
that Achilles was slaying many both of the 
Trojans and of the allies, he took upon 
himself the form of a man, and said to 
Achilles: “Without doubt, O Achilles, you 
are the greatest warrior among all the sons 
of men; for not only are you stronger than 
all others, but the gods themselves help 
you and protect you. It may be that they 
have given you to destroy all the sons of 
Troy; nevertheless I require of you that 
you depart from me, and do that which 
you have to do upon the plain, for my 
streams are choked with the multitude of 
those whom you have slain, and I cannot 
pass to the sea.” 

Achilles answered: “I would not do any¬ 
thing that displeases you. Nevertheless I 
will make no end of slaying the Trojans 
till they have made their way into the city, 
or till I have come face to face with 
Hector, and either slay him or be slain, as 
the gods may please.” 

Then Achilles turned again to the Tro¬ 
jans and slew still more of them. Then 
the River rose up against Achilles with all 

268 


THE BATTLE AT THE RIVER 

his might, and beat upon his shield, so that 
he could not stand upon his feet. He caught 
hold, therefore, of a lime tree that grew 
upon the bank; but the tree broke away 

from its place with all its roots, and lay 
across the river and stopped it from flow¬ 
ing, for it had many branches. Then 

Achilles was afraid, and climbed out of the 
water, and ran across the plain; but the 
River still followed him, for it wished to 
hinder him from destroying the men of 
Troy. For the Trojans were dear to the 
River because they honoured him with sac¬ 
rifices. And though he was very swift of 
foot, yet it overtook him, for, indeed, the 
gods are mightier than men; and when 
he tried to stand up against it, it rushed 
upon him with a great wave up to his 
shoulders, and bowed his knees under him. 
Then Achilles lifted up his hands to heaven 
and cried: “Will no one of the gods have 
pity upon me and help me ? Surely it 

would be better that Hector should slay 
me, for he is the bravest of men. This 
were better than that I should perish mis¬ 

erably as a boy whom a storm sweeps 

269 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


away when he is herding his cattle on the 
plain/’ 

But the River raged yet more and more; 
and he called to another river his brother, 
for there were two that flowed across the 
plains of Troy, saying: “Brother, let us 
two stay the fury of this man, or he will 
surely destroy the city of Priam, which is 
dear to us. Fill your stream to the highest, 
and bring against him a great wave, with 
trunks of trees and bodies of men whom 
he has slain. So we will sweep him away, 
and his people will have no need to heap 
up a mound of earth over his bones, for we 
will cover him with sand.” 

But when Hera saw this, she cried to the 
Fire-god, her son: “Come near and help us, 
and bring much fire with you, and burn 
the trees upon the bank of the river, yea, 
and the river itself.” 

So the Fire-god lit a great fire. First it 
burnt all the dead bodies on the plain; 
next it burnt all the trees that were on the 
banks of the river, the limes and the willows 
and the tamarisks; also it burnt the water- 
plants that were in the river; the very 

270 


The Gods Descending to Battle. 






















THE BATTLE AT THE RIVER 


fishes and eels it scorched, so that they 
twisted hither and thither in their pain. 
Then the River cried to the Fire-god: “Cease 
now from burning me; Achilles may do 
what he will with the Trojans. What do 
I care for mortal men?” So the Fire-god 
ceased from burning him, and the river 
troubled Achilles no more. 


271 




CHAPTER XXIV 


THE SLAYING OF HECTOR 



CHAPTER XXIV 


THE SLAYING OF HECTOR 

King Priam stood on a tower of the wall 
and saw how Achilles was driving the men 
of Troy before him, and his heart was 
much troubled within him, thinking how 
he could help his people. So he went 
down and spoke to those who kept the 
gates: “Keep now the wicket-gates open, 
holding them in your hand, that the people 
may enter by them, for they are flying 
before Achilles.” So the keepers held the 
wicket-gates in their hands, and the people 
made haste to come in; they were wearied 
with toil and consumed with thirst, and 
Achilles followed close after them. And 
the Greeks would have taken the city of 
Troy that hour but that Apollo saved it, 
for the gates being open they could enter 
with the Trojans, whereas the gates being 
shut, the people were left to perish. And 

275 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


the way in which he saved the city was 
this. He put courage into the heart of 
Agenor, son to Antenor, standing also by 
him that he should not be slain. Agenor, 
therefore, stood thinking to himself: “ Shall 
I flee with these others ? Not so: for 
Achilles will overtake me, so swift of foot 
is he, and shall slay me, and I shall die the 
death of a coward. Or shall I flee across 
the plain to Mount Ida, and hide myself 
in the thicket, and come back to the city 
when it is dark ? But if he see me, he 
will pursue me and overtake me. Shall I 
not rather stand here and meet him before 
the gates ? For he too is a mortal man, 
and may be slain by the spear/’ 

Therefore he stood by the gates waiting 
for Achilles, for Apollo had given him 
courage. And when Achilles came near 
Agenor cast his spear, and struck his leg 
beneath the knee, but the greave turned the 
spear, so strong was it, having been made by 
a god. But when Achilles rushed at him to 
slay him, Apollo lifted him up from the 
ground and set him safe within the walls. 
And that the men of Troy might have time 

276 


THE SLAYING OF HECTOR 


to enter, the god took Agenor’s shape and 
fled before Achilles, and Achilles pursued 
him. Meanwhile the Trojans flocked into 
the city through the wicket-gates, nor did 
they stay to ask who was safe and who was 
dead, so great was their fear and such their 
haste. Only Hector remained outside the 
city, in front of the great gates which were 
called the Scaean Gates. All the while 
Achilles was fiercely pursuing the false 
Agenor, till at last Apollo turned and spoke 
to him: “Why do you pursue me, swift¬ 
footed Achilles ? Have you not yet found 
out that I am a god, and that all your fury is 
in vain? And now all the Trojans are safe 
in the city, and you are here, far out of the 
way, seeking to kill one who cannot die.” 

Achilles answered him in great anger: 
“You have done me a great wrong in this. 
Surely of all the gods you are the one who 
loves mischief most. If it had not been 
for this many Trojans more would have 
fallen; but you have saved your favourites 
and robbed me of great glory. Oh that I 
could take vengeance on you! truly you 
would have paid dearly for your cheat.” 

277 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


Then he turned and ran towards the city, 
swift as a racehorse when it whirls a chariot 
across the plains. And his armour shone 
upon him as bright as Orion, which men call 
also the Dog, shines in the autumn, when 
the vintage is gathered, an evil light, bring¬ 
ing fevers to men. Old Priam saw him and 
groaned aloud, and stretched out his hands 
crying to Hector his son, where he stood 
before the gates waiting to fight with this 
terrible warrior: 

“O my son, wait not for this man, lest 
he kill you, for indeed he is stronger 
than you. I would that the gods had such 
love for him as I have. Soon would he 
be food for dogs and vultures. Of many 
sons has he bereaved me, but if he should 
bereave me of you, then would not I only 
and the mother who bore you mourn, but 
every man and woman in Troy. Come 
within the walls, my dear son, come, for 
you are the hope of the city. Come, lest an 
evil fate come upon me in my old age, that 
I should see my sons slain with the sword 
and my daughters carried into captivity, and 
the babes dashed upon the ground.” 

278 


THE SLAYING OF HECTOR 

So spoke old Priam, but he could not 
move the heart of his son. Then from 
the other side of the wall his mother, 
Queen Hecuba, cried to him. She wept 
aloud, and hoping that she might so per¬ 
suade him, she laid bare her bosom, saying: 
“O Hector, my son, have pity on me. 

Think of the breast which in old days I 
gave you, when you were hungry, and 

stilled your crying. Come, I beseech you, 
inside the walls, and do not wait for him, 
or stand up in battle against him. For if 
he conquers you, then not only will you 

die, but dogs and vultures will eat your 
flesh far from here, by the ships of the 
Greeks.” 

But all her prayers were in vain, for he 
was still minded to await the coming of 
Achilles, and stand up to him in battle. 
And as he waited many thoughts passed 
through his mind: “Woe is me, if I go 
within the walls! Will not they reproach 

me who gave me good advice which I 
would not hear, saying that I should bring 
the people within the walls, when the 
great Achilles roused himself to the battle ? 

279 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


Would that I had done this thing! it 
had been by far better for us; but now I 
have destroyed the people. I fear the sons 
and daughters of Troy, lest they should 
say: ‘Hector trusted in his strength, and 
he has brought the people whom he should 
have saved to harm/ It would be far better 
for me to stay here and meet the great 
Achilles, and either slay him, or, if it must be 
so, be slain by him. Or shall I lay down 
my shield and take off my helmet and lean 
my spear against the wall, and go to meet 
him and say: ‘We will give back the Fair 
Helen and all the riches which Paris carried 
off with her; also we will give all the 

precious things that there are in the city 

that the Greeks may divide them among 
themselves, taking an oath that we are 
keeping nothing back, if only you will 
leave us in peace’? But this is idle talk. 
He will have neither shame nor pity, and 
will slay me as I stand without defence 

before him. No: it is better far to meet 
in arms and see whether Zeus will give the 
victory to him or to me.” 

These were the things which Hector 

280 


THE SLAYING OF HECTOR 

thought in his heart. And Achilles came 
near, shaking over his right shoulder the 
great Pelian spear, and the flashing of his 
arms was like to fire or to the sun when it 

rises. But Hector trembled when he saw 

\ 

him, and his heart failed him so that he turned 
his back and fled. Fast he fled from the place 
where he stood by the great Scaean Gate, and 
fast did Achilles pursue him, just as a hawk, 
which is more swift than all other birds, 
pursues a dove among the hills. The two 
ran past the watch-tower, and past the wild 
fig tree, along the wagon-road which ran 
round the walls, till they came to the springs 
from which the river rises. Two springs 
there were, one hot as though it had been 
heated with fire, and the other cold, cold as 
ice or snow, even in the summer. There 
were two basins of stone in which the 
daughters of Troy had been used to wash 
their garments; but that was in the old days, 
when there was peace, before the Greeks 
came to the land. Past the springs they 
ran; it was no race which men run for some 
prize, a sheep, maybe, or an ox-hide shield. 
Rather the prize was the life of Hector. So 

281 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


they ran round the city, and the Trojans 
on the wall and the Greeks upon the plain 
looked on. And the gods looked on as they 
sat in their palace on the top of Olympus. 
And Zeus said: 

“Now this is a piteous thing which I see. 
My heart is grieved for Hector — Hector, 
who has never failed to honour me and the 
other gods with sacrifice. See how the 
great Achilles is pursuing him! Come, let 
us take counsel together. Shall we save him 
from death, or shall we let him fall by the 
spear of Achilles?” 

Athene said: “What is this that you pur¬ 
pose ? Will you save a man whom the fates 
appoint to die ? Do this, if you will, but the 
other gods do not approve.” 

Then said Zeus: “This is a thing that I 
hate; but be it as you will.” All this time 
Hector still fled, and Achilles still pursued. 
Hector sought for shelter in the walls, and 
Achilles ever drove him towards the plain. 
Just as in a dream, when one seems to fly 
and another seems to pursue, and the first 
cannot escape, neither can the second over¬ 
take, so these two ran. Yet Apollo helped 

282 



THE SLAYING OF HECTOR 


Hector, giving strength to his knees, else 
he had not held out against Achilles, than 
whom there was no faster runner among the 
sons of men. Three times did they run 
round the city, but when they came for the 
fourth time to the springs Athene lighted 
from the air close to Achilles and said: “This 
is your day of glory, for you shall slay Hector, 
though he be a mighty warrior. It is his 
doom to die, and Apollo’s self shall not save 
him. Stand here and take breath, and I will 
make him meet you.” 

So Achilles stood leaning on his spear. 
And Athene took the shape of Dei’phobus, 
and came near to Hector and said to him: 
“My brother, Achilles presses you hard; but 
come, we two will stand up against him.” 
Hector answered, “Q Dei’phobus, I have 
always loved you above all my brothers, and 
now I love you still more, for you only have 
come to my help, while they remain within 
the walls.” Then said Dei'phobus: “Much 
did my father and my mother and my 
comrades entreat me to stay within the 
walls, but I would not, for I could not 
bear to leave you alone. Come, therefore, 

283 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


let us fight this man together, and see whether 
he will carry our spoils to the ships or we shall 
slay him here.” 

Then Hector said to Achilles: “ Three 
times have you pursued me round the walls, 
and I dared not stand against you, but now 
I fear you no more. Only let us make this 
covenant. If Zeus gives me the victory 
to-day, I will give back your body to the 
Greeks, only I will keep your arms: do 
you, therefore, promise to do the same 
with me?” 

Achilles frowned at him and said: “Hector, 
talk not of covenants to me. Men and lions 
make no oaths to each other, neither is there 
any agreement between wolves and sheep. 
Make no delay; let us fight together, that 
I may have vengeance for the blood of all 
my comrades whom thou hast slain, and 
especially of Patroclus, the man whom I 
loved beyond all others.” 

Then he threw the great spear, but Hector 
saw it coming and avoided it, crouching down 
so that the spear flew over his head and fixed 
itself in the ground. But Athene snatched 
it up and gave it back to Achilles; but this 

284 


THE SLAYING OF HECTOR 


Hector did not see. Then said Hector to 
Achilles: “You have missed your aim, 

Achilles. Now see whether I have not a 
truer aim.” Then he cast his spear, and the 
aim, indeed, was true, for it struck full upon 
the shield; it struck, but it bounded far away. 
Then he cried to Dei'phobus: “Give me 
another spear;” but lo! Dei'phobus was 
gone. Then he knew that his end was 
come, and he said to himself: “The gods 
have brought my doom upon me. I thought 
that Dei'phobus was with me; but he is 
behind the walls, and this was but a cheat 
with which Athene cheated me. Never¬ 
theless, if I must die, let me at least die in 
the doing of such a deed as men shall remem¬ 
ber in the years to come.” 

So he spoke, and drew his great sword, 
and rushed upon Achilles as an eagle rushes 
down from the clouds upon its prey. But 
never a blow did he deal; for Achilles ran 
to meet him, holding his shield before him, 
and the plumes of his helmet streamed behind 
him as he ran, and the point of his spear was 
as bright as the evening star. For a moment 
he doubted where he should drive it home, 

285 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

for the armour of Patroclus which Hector 
wore guarded him well. But a spot there was, 
where the stroke of spear or sword is deadliest, 
by the collar-bone where the neck joins the 
shoulder. There he drove in the spear, and 
the point stood out behind the neck, and 
Hector fell in the dust. Then Achilles cried 
aloud: “ Hector, you thought not of me 
when you slew Patroclus and spoiled him 
of his arms. But now you have fallen, and 
the dogs and vultures shall eat your flesh, 
but to him the Greeks will give honourable 
burial.” 

But Hector said, his voice now growing 
faint: “O Achilles, I entreat you, by all that 
you hold dear, to give my body to my father 
and mother that they may duly bury it. 
Large ransoms will they pay of gold and 
silver and bronze.” 

“ Speak not to me of ransom,” said Achilles. 
“ Priam shall not buy thee back, no, not for 
your weight in gold.” 

Then Hector said: “I know you well, 
what manner of man you are, and that the 
heart in your breast is of iron. Only beware 
lest the anger of the gods come upon you 

286 



Andromache Fainting on the Wall. 












































THE SLAYING OF HECTOR 


for such deeds in the days when Paris and 
Apollo shall slay you hard by these very 

gates. ” 

So speaking, he died. And Achilles said: 
“Die, dog that you are; but my doom I 
will meet when it shall please the gods to 
send it.” 

Then did Achilles devise a cruel thing. 
He pierced the ankle-bones of the dead man, 
and fastened the body with thongs of ox¬ 

hide to the chariot, and so dragged it to 
the ships. 

Now Andromache knew nothing of what 
had come to pass. She sat in her house 
weaving a great mantle, embroidered with 
flowers. And she bade her maidens make 

ready the bath for Hector, when he should 
come back from the battle, knowing not 
that he would never need it any more. 

Then there rose a great cry of wailing from 
the walls, and she rose up from her weaving 
in great haste, and dropped the shuttle from 
her hands and said to the maids: “Come 
now, I must see what has happened, for I 
fear that some evil has come to the men 
of Troy. Maybe Hector is in danger, for 

287 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


he is always bold, and will fight in the 
front/’ 

Then she ran along the street to the walls 
like to a madwoman. And when she came 
to the walls she looked, and lo! the horses 
of Achilles were dragging the body of Hector 
to the ships. Then a sudden darkness 
came upon her, and she fell to the ground as 
though she were dead. 


288 


CHAPTER XXV 


THE RANSOMING OF HECTOR 




CHAPTER XXV 


THE RANSOMING OF HECTOR 

The Greeks made a great mourning for 
Patroclus, and paid due honours to him, 
but the body of Hector was shamefully 
treated, for Achilles caused it to be dragged 
daily about the tomb of his friend. Then 
Zeus sent for Thetis and said to her: “Go 
to the camp, and bid your son give up the 
body of Hector for ransom; it angers me to 
see him do dishonour to the dead.” 

So Thetis went to the tent of Achilles 
and found him weeping softly for his friend, 
for the strength of his sorrow was now 
spent. And she said to him: “It is the 
will of Zeus that you give up the body 
of Hector for ransom.” And he said: “Let 
it be so, if the gods will have it.” 

Then, again, Zeus sent Iris his messenger 
to King Priam, where he sat in his palace 
with his face wrapped in his mantle, and his 

291 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


sons weeping round him, and his daughter 
and his daughters-in-law wailing in their 
chambers of the palace. Iris said to him: 
“Be of good cheer; I come from Zeus. He 
bids you take precious gifts wherewith to 
buy back the body of Hector from Achilles. 
Nor will Achilles refuse to give it.” 

So Priam rose up from his place with 
gladness in his heart. Nor would he listen 
to the Queen when she would have kept 
him back. 

“I have heard the voice of the messenger 
of Zeus, and I will go. And if I die, 
what do I care ? Let Achilles slay me, so 
that I hold the body of my son once more in 
my arms.” 

Then he caused precious things to be put 
into a wagon, mantles which had never 
been washed, and rugs, and cloaks, twelve 
of each, and ten talents of gold, and cauldrons 
and basins, and a great cup of gold which 
the Thracians had given him. Nothing of 
his treasures did he spare if only he might 
buy back his son. Then he bade his sons 
yoke the mules to the wagon. With many 
bitter words did he speak to them; they 

292 



Hector’s Body Dragged at the Chariot of Achilles. 





/ 


THE RANSOMING OF HECTOR 


were cowards, he said, an evil brood, speakers 
of lying words, and mighty only to drink 
wine. But they did not answer him. Then 
Priam himself yoked the horses to the chariot, 
the herald helping. But before he went he 
poured out wine to Zeus, and prayed, say¬ 
ing: “Hear me, O Father, and cause Achilles 
to pity me; give me also a lucky sign that 
I may go on this business with a good heart.” 

So Zeus sent an eagle, a mighty bird, and 
it flew with wings outstretched over the 
city, on the right hand of the King. 

Then the King passed out of the gates. 
Before him the mules drew the wagon; 
these the herald drove. But Priam him¬ 
self drove his horses. Then said Zeus to 
Hermes: “Go, guide the King, so that none 
of the Greeks may see him before he comes 
to the tent of Achilles.” So Hermes fastened 
on his feet the winged sandals with which 
he flies, and flew till he came to the plain 
of Troy. And when the wagon and the 
chariot were close to the tomb of Hus, the 
herald spied a man (for Hermes had taken 
the shape of a man), and said to the King: 
“What shall we do ? I see a man. Shall 


293 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


we flee, or shall we beg him to have mercy 
on us?” And the King was greatly troubled. 
But Hermes came near and said: “Whither 
do you go in the darkness with these horses 
and mules ? Have you no fear of the Greeks ? 
If any one should spy all this wealth, what 
then? You are old, and could scarcely 
defend yourselves. But be of good cheer; 
I will protect you, for you are like to my own 
dear father.” 

Priam answered: “Happy is he to have 
such a son. Surely the gods are with me, 
that I have met such a one as you.” 

Then said Hermes: “Tell me true; are 
you sending away these treasures for safe 
keeping, fearing that the city will be taken 
now that Hector is dead?” 

Priam answered: “Who are you that you 
speak of Hector ? ” 

Hermes said: “I am a Myrmidon, one of 
the people of Achilles, and often have I seen 
your son in the front of the battle.” 

Then the King asked him: “Is the body 
of Hector yet whole, or have the dogs and 
vultures devoured it?” 

Hermes answered: “It is whole and with- 

294 


THE RANSOMING OF HECTOR 


out blemish, as fresh as when he died. Surely 
the gods love him, even though he be dead.” 

Then King Priam would have had the 
young man take a gift; but Hermes said: 
“I will take no gift unknown to my master. 
So to do would be to wrong him. But I 
will guide you to his tent, if you would 
go thither.” 

So he leapt into the chariot and took the 
reins. And when they came to the trench, 
where the sentinels were at their meal, Hermes 
caused a deep sleep to fall on them, and he 
opened the gate, and brought in the King 
with his treasures. And when they were 
at the tent of Achilles, the young man said: 
“I am Hermes, whom Father Zeus sent to 
be your guide. Go in and clasp him about 
the knees, and entreat him to have pity 
upon you.” And he vanished out of his 
sight. 

Then Priam went into the tent, where 
Achilles, who had just ended his meal, sat 
at the table, and caught his knees and kissed 
his hands, yea, the very hands which had 
slain so many of his sons. He said: “Have 
pity on me, O Achilles, thinking of you! 

295 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


own father. He is old as I am, yet it goes 
well with him, so long as he knows that 
you are alive, for he hopes to see you coming 
back from the land of Troy. But as for me, 
I am altogether miserable. Many sons have 
I lost, and now the best of them all is dead, 
and lo! I kiss the hands which slew him/’ 

Then the heart of Achilles was moved 
with pity and he wept, thinking now of 
his old father and now of the dead Patroclus. 
At last he stood up from his seat and said: 
“How did you dare to come to my tent, 
old man ? Surely you must have a heart 
of iron. But come, sit and eat and drink; 
for this a man must do, for all the sorrows 
that come upon him.” 

But the King said: “Ask me not to eat and 
drink while my son lies unburied and without 
honour. Rather take the gifts which I have 
brought, with which to ransom him.” 

But Achilles frowned and said: “Vex me 
not: I am minded to give back the body 
of Hector, but let me go my own way.” 
Then Priam held his peace, for he feared to 
rouse the anger of Achilles. Then Achilles 
went forth from the tent, and two com- 

296 


THE RANSOMING OF HECTOR 


panions with him. First they took the 
gifts from the wagon; only they left two 
cloaks and a tunic wherewith to cover the 
dead. And Achilles bade the women wash 
and anoint the body, only that they should 
do this apart from the tent, lest Priam should 
see his son, and lament aloud and so wake 
the fury in his heart. And when the body 
was washed and anointed, Achilles himself 
lifted it in his arms, and put it on a litter, and 
his comrades put the litter in the wagon. 

When all was finished, Achilles groaned 
and cried to his dead friend, saying: ‘‘Be 

not angry, O Patroclus, that I have given 
the body of Hector to his father. He has 

given a noble ransom, and of this you shall 
have your share as is meet.” 

Then he went back to his tent and said: 
“Your son, old man, is ransomed, and to¬ 
morrow shall you see him and take him 

back to Troy. But now let us eat and 
drink.” And this they did. But when this 

had ended, they sat and looked at each other, 
and Achilles wondered at King Priam, so noble 
was he to behold, and Priam wondered to see 
how strong and how fair was Achilles. 

297 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 


Then Priam said: “Let me sleep, Achilles, 
for I have not slept since my son was slain.” 
So they made up for him a bed, but not in 
the tent, lest, perhaps, one of the chiefs 
should come in and see him. But before 
he slept the King said: “Let there be a 
truce for nine days between the Greeks and 
the Trojans, that we may bury Hector.” 
And Achilles said: “It shall be so; I will 
stay the war for so long.” 

But when the King slept, Hermes came 
again to him and said: “Do you sleep 
among your enemies, O Priam ? Awake 
and depart, for though Achilles has taken 
ransom for Hector, what would not your 
sons have to pay for you if the Greeks should 
find you in the camp?” 

Then the old man rose up. And the wise 
herald yoked the mules to the wagon and 
the horses to the chariot. And they passed 
through the camp of the Greeks, no man 
knowing, and came safe to the city of Troy. 

On the ninth day the King and his people 
made a great burying for Hector, such as had 
never before been seen in the land of Troy. 


298 


THE END OF TROY 



THE END OF TROY 


After these things came Memnon, a black 
warrior, who men said was the son of 
the Morning. He slew Antilochus, son of 
Nestor, and was himself slain by Achilles. 
Not many days afterwards Achilles himself 
was slain near the Scaen Gates. It was by 
an arrow from the bow of Paris that he was 
killed, but the arrow was guided by Apollo. 

Yet Troy was not taken. Then Helenus, 
the seer, having been taken prisoner by 
Ulysses, said: “You cannot take the city 
till you bring the man who has the arrows 
of Hercules.” So they fetched the man, 
and he killed many Trojans with the arrows, 
and among them Paris, who was the cause 
of all this trouble. 

Last of all the Greeks devised this plan. 
Some of the bravest of the chiefs hid them¬ 
selves in a great horse of wood, and the 
rest made a pretence of going away, but 

3 01 


ILIAD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

went no further than to an island hard by. 
And when the Trojans had dragged the 
horse into the city, thinking that it was 
an offering to the gods of the city, the 
chiefs let themselves out of it by night, and 
the other Greeks having come back, took 
the city in the tenth year from the beginning 
of the siege. 

Printed in the United States of America. 


302 





































































